Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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221. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to provide an update on plans to develop a rural resettlement programme; the timeframe for such a programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23294/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, my colleague the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, has overall responsibility for regional and rural matters and will be advancing a broadly based rural development strategy, in the context of the Programme for a Partnership Government.

For my part, the Government yesterday published Rebuilding Ireland: An Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, which includes a range of measures supportive of the regeneration and renewal of towns and villages across rural Ireland and by association ensuring a vibrant population in those places.

It is my aim that all steps are taken to secure the re-use of vacant and underutilised properties for residential purposes, particularly in the many towns and villages in rural Ireland that contain a significant number of empty houses.

Through measures such as the Repair and Leasing Initiative (RLI), for example, up front financial assistance will be made available to property owners to upgrade empty but sub-standard accommodation in return for leasing the property back for social housing purposes. Acquisition and leasing options are also available to local authorities to ensure that households needing accommodation may be provided with that accommodation.

The development of a rural resettlement programme will be considered further, in conjunction with the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs, in the context of taking forward these measures, the details of which are set out in the Action Plan, which is available on the website, www.rebuildingireland.ie.