Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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157. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of successful applications, by relevant area, under the living city initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14231/16]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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Applications for the Living City Initiative (LCI) are only required to be made to the relevant local authority under the residential element of the scheme. Applications to local authorities are not required to be made under the commercial element of the scheme and thus it is likely to be early next year before information on this aspect of the scheme will become available.  Based on information received from the City and County Councils to date, the number of applications received under the residential element per eligible city is as follows:

Details of the numbers participating in the commercial element of the scheme should become available in early 2017, by which stage the tax returns for 2015 will be filed and processed.

The Initiative has only been in operation for just over a year, and take-up of the scheme is lower than anticipated considering up to 100% of relevant expenditure may be tax relieved. My officials are currently reviewing the LCI and considering potential changes to the scheme. 

Any proposed amendments will be considered in the context of the Budget and Finance Bill.