Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour)
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172. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide an update on the Living City Initiative; when it is due to begin; if areas within the counties and cities initially announced have been identified; the buildings it will apply to in terms of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46905/14]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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Officials from my Department have held preliminary discussions with the relevant local authorities to identify the areas of the six cities, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick and Waterford, which might fall within the scope of the scheme. Each of the local authorities have now submitted proposals on the areas which they believe should be included. Further discussions will be held in due course. Following changes introduced in this year's Finance Bill, the residential element of the scheme will apply to all pre-1915 dwellings in the designated areas.

My officials have also been in contact with the EU Commission on the application for State Aid approval for the Initiative and this process is expected to be concluded shortly. I will not be announcing the areas to be designated until this approval has been received and the initiative is to be commenced. I would expect that I will be in a position to make an announcement in the near future, in conjunction with my cabinet colleagues and the local authorities concerned.

It is important to note that I do not see this as a wide-spread Initiative, as it is targeted at those areas which are most in need of attention.