Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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274. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to expand the Historic Towns Initiative beyond the three towns covered by the pilot project; her views on the success of the pilot scheme to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33753/15]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Historic Towns Initiative (HTI) aims to promote heritage-led regeneration of the historic cores of our rural historic towns by harnessing the cultural heritage assets of participating towns. The wider objective is to help stall and, ultimately, reverse the trend towards depopulation, loss of vibrancy, vacancy and dereliction which currently exists. During 2013 and 2014, the Department, in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland, the Heritage Council and three local authorities, ran a pilot HTI programme in Youghal, Listowel and Westport. Central to the programme was that it was driven at local level, with guidance by a national steering group comprising officials from each local authority, DAHG, the Heritage Council and Fáilte Ireland. An HTI guidance manual was also developed to assist each town in the pilot programme. The pilot scheme is considered to have been a success in the three towns that participated. Plans to further develop the Initiative will be contingent on the availability of funding in the context of the many competing priorities in 2016 and beyond for the conservation, preservation and presentation of the State’s heritage.