Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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851. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 1364 and 1365 of 17 April 2018, the progress made on a new pilot grant scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30723/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The pilot scheme to encourage residential occupancy in rural towns and villages which the Deputy refers to is being developed as part of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme which is administered by my Department.

As advised in the previous questions referred to, a Steering Group was established to oversee the design and delivery of the pilot scheme and the work of that Group is still in progress. It is a complex issue but substantial progress has been made in developing the pilot.  It is envisaged that the pilot scheme will be implemented in a small number of towns initially with a view, subject to the scheme's success, to a wider roll-out over time.  

This pilot has the capacity to inform future initiatives for town centre renewal under the new €1 billion Rural Regeneration and Development Fund which was launched on 4^thJuly 2018 as part of Project Ireland 2040.

Work is ongoing on the development of the pilot and I hope to be in a position to announce details of the pilot scheme soon.