Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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131. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps that will be taken to ensure that before projects are approved under the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, that all preparatory work is completed up to going to tender including land acquisition, planning permission, other statutory approvals, matching finance and so on in order that they will be ready to go to tender and start construction in the shortest time possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10775/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) was launched in 2018 to support more compact and sustainable development. The URDF is one of four funds established under the National Development Plan 2018-2027 and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has responsibility for its implementation.

The Fund is providing part-funding for applicant led projects that will enable a greater proportion of residential and mixed-use development to be delivered within the existing built-up footprints of our cities and large towns, while also ensuring that more parts of our urban areas can become attractive and vibrant places in which people choose to live and work, as well as to invest and to visit.

The URDF, as a key activator of the National Planning Framework (NPF) and Project Ireland 2040, is supporting a programme of significant transformational capital projects that will contribute to the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s five cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the NPF and PI2040.

The programme is applicant led and all applications for URDF support are assessed in terms of their alignment with the intended purpose of the URDF programme and also their viability before being considered for approval. In this regard it should be noted that responsibility for the advancement of URDF supported projects through the various stages of development and completion is, in the first instance, a matter for the relevant successful applicant.

Each project is unique as each is location specific, and many are of significant scale, complexity, and cost. As is normally the case, such projects must be carefully developed and managed in accordance with the normal conditions and practices that apply to public sector managed projects including exercising appropriate cost control and delivering each project as approved and in full compliance with the Public Spending Code.