Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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20. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the way in which his Department proposes to review planning legislation to allow the change of use of vacant commercial properties in cities, towns and villages, including vacant or underutilised areas over ground floor premises, into residential units without having to go through the planning process as outlined in point 6 of the Action Plan for Rural Development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4245/17]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Lead responsibility for the Action Plan for Rural Development, which was launched on 23 January 2017, rest with my colleague, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. However, as the proposal listed at Action 6 therein relates to a planning matter, its delivery falls to my Department. The proposed action, which was also reflected in the Government's Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Rebuilding Ireland, published in July 2016, is indicative of the ambitious priority attached to urban regeneration by the Government, grounded in the Programme for a Partnership Government. It is one of a series of specific actions to facilitate the regeneration of our urban centres, many of which were adversely impacted by the economic downturn.

To drive forward consideration and implementation of these actions, a Working Group, which I chair and which also involves senior representatives from my Department, local authorities and other relevant actors, has been established to bring forward proposals for new urban regeneration measures as early as possible. It is intended that the new measures will complement the existing regeneration activities under my Department's Social Housing Capital Programme, as well as other social regeneration initiatives already underway.

As part of its deliberations, the Working Group is presently reviewing planning legislation to allow the change of use of vacant commercial premises in urban areas, including vacant or under-utilised areas over ground floor premises, into residential units without having to go through the planning process. I expect the Working Group to be in a position to report in Q2 2017.