Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

167. To ask the Minister for Finance if consideration will be given to including Sligo in the living city initiative in the new Finance Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31467/16]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will be aware, the Living City Initiative was enacted in the Finance Act 2013 and commenced on 5th May 2015. The Initiative was extended beyond the original planned pilot cities of Limerick and Waterford, to include the cities of Dublin, Cork, Galway and Kilkenny. 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.

I announced a number of changes to the scheme in the Budget which aim to get the design of the Initiative right so that it can be more effective. Once this is achieved and evidenced, it will then be possible to consider how, or if, the Initiative could be extended to other locations. The Deputy will be aware of a further commitment in the Programme for Partnership Government, to examine the introduction of a similar scheme to the "Living City Initiative" to regenerate town centres and villages throughout Ireland. It is important that the underpinning scheme is made more effective, as until that has been achieved, extension of eligibility for it to other towns would be largely meaningless.