Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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84. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will extend the living in town Initiative to all provincial towns to incentivise persons to move back into town centres to help revitalise our towns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5156/16]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I assume the Deputy is referring to the Living City Initiative, which was enacted in the Finance Act 2013 and commenced on 5th May 2015. This Initiative has been extended beyond the original planned 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 followed the completion of a comprehensive, independent ex-ante cost benefit analysis.

The Initiative targets particular areas of the cities which are most in need of regeneration, especially inner city areas, which are largely comprised of dwellings built before 1915, where there is above average unemployment and which demonstrate clear evidence of neglect, dereliction and under-use.

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 under review.