Written answers

Tuesday, 7 March 2017

Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Rural Development Plan

Photo of Fiona O'LoughlinFiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

383. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which the various towns throughout the country and in County Kildare have been selected for benefit from the recently announced Action Plan for Rural Development; if a priority list has been set out; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11482/17]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Action Plan for Rural Development contains a number of measures which have the objective of rejuvenating Ireland’s rural towns and villages to make them more attractive places in which to live and work and to increase their tourism potential.

From my own Department’s perspective, I have secured funding of €12 million for an enhanced Town and Village Renewal scheme this year. This scheme will be launched shortly and towns and villages to be considered under the scheme, including in County Kildare, will be selected through an application and assessment process.  The scheme will be funded by my Department and administered by Local Authorities. Full details of the scheme and the application process will be made available when the scheme is launched.

My Department will also provide funding to support towns and villages through the CLÁR programme which has a budget of €5 million this year, and through the Built Heritage Investment Scheme and the Structures at Risk Fund, which have a combined budget of €2.8 million for 2017.

The Heritage Council will be administering a Heritage and Community Grants programme of €0.7 million, along with a historic towns programme of €0.6 million to develop and expand the on-going work of the Department’s Historic Towns Initiative and the Irish Walled Towns Network.

Our towns and villages are the heart of our rural communities, and through these investments and other initiatives across Government we can help to make them more attractive places in which to live and to work.

Photo of Eamon ScanlonEamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

384. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the Action Plan for Rural Development involves a commitment to provide grant assistance to persons that wish to renovate the second floor of a house into an apartment and refurbish residential and non-residential buildings in rural communities; if so, the details of the grant aid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11507/17]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Action Plan for Rural Development, which was launched on 23rdJanuary, contains a number of measures which have the objective of rejuvenating Ireland’s rural towns and villages to make them more attractive places in which to live and work, and to increase their tourism potential.

As part of Budget 2017, I have secured funding of €12 million for an enhanced Town and Village Renewal scheme this year. I intend to launch the first phase of this scheme in the coming weeks, with a focus on improving the economic development of our towns and villages. Full details of the initiative will be available when the scheme is launched.

I also intend to launch a second phase of the scheme later this year. This will be a pilot project to encourage residential occupancy in rural towns and villages.

My intention is that the scheme will be targeted at owner-occupiers and will assist with the cost of bringing buildings back into use for residential purposes only. The pilot will be launched in the second half of the year, when details of the scheme have been finalised in consultation with relevant Departments. Full details of the criteria to apply will be announced when the pilot is launched.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.