Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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74. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to run a module under the urban regeneration and development fund specifically aimed at funding large community facility developments in view of the dearth of funds available in urban areas for such developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16151/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The primary focus of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is on supporting projects that will contribute to compact growth and that will improve the liveability of our cities and towns.  All applications for URDF support are assessed in terms of their alignment with the intended purpose of the URDF and also their viability before being considered for approval.

There have been two calls for proposals under the URDF.  In 2019, approval in principle together with provisional funding allocations issued in respect of the 87 projects approved under the first call which was launched in 2018.  The second call for proposals was launched last year, and following a rigorous assessment process I have recently approved a further tranche of 45 projects which will augment the existing pipeline of transformative projects already being advanced throughout the country.

At present I have no plans to change the focus and purpose of the URDF of contributing to the achievement of compact growth in our cities and towns.