Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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116. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the extent, if any, to which he has plans to address urban and rural decay in all regions; if he has conducted an audit in this regard with a view to determining the full extent of the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18779/16]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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The new Programme for Partnership Governmentsets out the ambitious priority attached to urban regeneration by the new Government, with a series of specific actions set out therein as to how it is proposed to facilitate the regeneration of our urban centres. In this context, I have established a working group, which I will chair, comprising senior representatives from my Department, local authorities and other relevant actors, to bring forward proposals for new urban regeneration measures as early as possible. It is intended that such new measures will complement the existing regeneration programme under the Social Housing Capital Programme, as well as other social regeneration initiatives already under way.

The series of specific actions set out in the Programme for Partnership Governmentare examples of the Government ’s commitment and approach to regenerating our urban centres, many of which were adversely impacted by our recent economic difficulties. In this context, the Government will seek to introduce a new Town and Village Renewal Scheme to support the revitalisation of our 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 from this year, it is envisaged that the scheme will, among other things, particularly seek to increase the attractiveness and sustainability of our towns and villages as places to live and work.

In addition to this new Scheme, it is also intended under the new Programme for Partnership Governmentto examine a series of further initiatives, including:

- the introduction of a similar scheme to the ‘Living City Initiative’ to regenerate urban centres and villages throughout Ireland (Year 1 action),

- reclassifying and incentivising the use of underutilised or vacant areas over ground floor premises in urban areas, for both residential and commercial use (Year 1 action),

- examining the scope to reform the Derelict Sites Act to tackle the under-use and hoarding of derelict land by the State, semi-State and private sectors (Year 1 action),

- the establishment of a national register of derelict sites, in addition to the new vacant site levy, to bring vacant and underutilised sites into beneficial use for housing and urban regeneration purposes (Year 2 action), and

- the mandating of local authorities with better land management powers (Year 2 action).

In the context of the priority being attached to urban regeneration by the current Government, I will be aiming to provide increased funding in 2017 and beyond for a range of measures that will address deep-rooted disadvantage, while simultaneously developing an approach to urban regeneration that empowers people to work together to improve their communities, to reduce poverty, disadvantage and inequality. It is intended that these new measures will also include strengthening the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) as well as reactivating funding to areas covered by the RAPID (Revitalising Areas through Planning, Investment and Development) Programme through the local authorities.