James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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73. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the publication date for the planned framework for town centre renewal; if it will incorporate an action plan to support town centre renewal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22480/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I launched the Framework for Town Centre Renewal in Sligo on 25th April.  The publication of the Framework represents a key deliverable for the Retail Consultation Forum, which I chair, under the Action Plan for Jobs 2017.

The Framework will play an important part in the work to rejuvenate and revitalise towns and villages around the country. It will be a key support document for towns and villages applying for funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme launched recently by my colleague Minister Humphreys, Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

The Framework includes an Action Plan for Town Centre Renewal which is intended to be a blueprint for towns and villages, guiding them through the three stages of town centre renewal: stakeholder engagement, carrying out a town centre health check and preparing a Town Centre Plan. The Framework includes a number of case studies which provide practical examples of best practice from a number of towns and villages around the country.

Through the Framework for Town Centre Renewal and the recently launched Village Renewal Scheme, my Department and the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs are collectively supporting local Authorities, local businesses and local communities to adopt town centre management best practices and identify projects which will have a positive economic impact on their towns and villages.