Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Independent)
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80. To ask the Minister for Finance the total number of pre-1915 properties in Dublin 2, 4 and 6 which could be eligible properties under the proposed Living City initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16166/15]

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Independent)
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81. To ask the Minister for Finance when an order will be made to designate the special regeneration areas under the proposed Living City initiative; when a commencement order will be made; the total number of representations he or his Department have had, seeking to have areas designated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16167/15]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 80 and 81 together.

The Deputy will be aware that the purpose of the Living City Initiative is to provide an urban regeneration incentive to certain areas of six cities, namely Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick and Waterford, which are most in need of regeneration. Officials from my Department have held discussions with the relevant local authorities to identify the areas of the six cities which might fall within the scope of the scheme. The Living City Initiative will be launched shortly, and as part of that launch, details of the special regeneration areas will be made public. I will not be announcing the areas to be designated until the initiative is to be commenced. 

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.

With regard to representations, as the Deputy will understand my Department has received a number of submissions from interested parties including citizens and residents groups since the scheme was announced. A number of stakeholders, including residents, were also consulted as part of the ex-ante cost benefit analysis which was undertaken in respect of the original pilot cities of Limerick and Waterford.