Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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373. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he is concerned at the extent of derelict or semi-derelict gaps in the street scape of cities, towns and villages, with particular reference to the urgent need to project a positive modern image; if he has made adequate provision to set a specific deadline for meeting such issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9578/16]

Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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391. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government how he will help rectify the situation whereby retail units remain empty in many rural towns and villages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9668/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 373 and 391 together.

I refer to the reply to Question No. 878 of 13 January 2016 which sets out a range of actions to support the regeneration of towns and villages.

In addition, the Programme for a Partnership Government published last week sets out a series of additional measures which will be progressed to attract people back into main streets and town centres. These include seeking Oireachtas support for a new Town and Village Renewal Scheme to support the revitalisation of towns and villages and improve the living and working environment of communities. Using the €30 million available to local authorities for town and village regeneration over the coming years, the scheme will, among other things, seek to increase the attractiveness and sustainability of our towns and villages as places to live and work.

In the context of this new scheme, the Government will examine a range of further measures aimed at regenerating our urban centres, including –

- introducing a scheme similar to the ‘Living City Initiative’ to regenerate town centres and villages throughout Ireland,

- reclassifying and incentivising the use of under utilised or vacant areas over ground floor premises in towns, for both residential and commercial use,

- mandating local authorities with better land management powers, including the possibility of additional CPO (Compulsory Purchase Order) capabilities, and

- introducing a new Rural Resettlement Scheme to promote the advantages of rural living and ease housing pressures in high demand urban areas.

It is intended that the new package of measures will build on and complement the measures introduced by the previous Government, and which were set out in the previous reply to which I refer, thereby assisting in providing much-needed impetus towards revitalising our urban centres and our rural towns and villages in the coming years, so that they are better positioned to take advantage of the upturn in our economy.