Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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262. To ask the Minister for Finance the progress of the living city initiative; if he will consider extending it to provincial towns to incentivise persons to live in town centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26226/15]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Living City Initiative, which was enacted in the Finance Act 2013 and commenced on 5 May 2015, has been extended beyond the original pilot cities of Limerick and Waterford, to include the cities of Dublin, Cork, Galway and Kilkenny as well. In line with my Department's commitment to evidence based policy-making, the inclusion of these additional four cities was as a result of a comprehensive, independent ex ante cost benefit analysis, conducted by Indecon International Economic Consultants.

This Initiative is targeting particular areas of these six cities which are most in need of regeneration. I do not currently intend to extend the Initiative further than the six cities.  However, my Department will closely monitor the progress of the Initiative in the six cities, and will keep the matter of potentially extending the relief further under review.

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