Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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1222. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the eligibility criteria for the 2021 town and village renewal scheme has been considered and taken into account for the funding of towns with populations above 10,000; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31848/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In May, I announced funding of €15 million which is available for the 2021 Town and Village Renewal Scheme. This year’s scheme will place particular emphasis on projects supporting remote working and enhancing town centre living as outlined in Our Rural Future – Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025.

The Scheme is normally restricted to towns with a population of less than 10,000 people. This year, I widened the scope of the Scheme to include larger towns with a population of up to 15,000 people. Applications from these larger towns will be considered where the application is of a high quality and outlines a strong need for the investment, good value for money and positive outcomes that will have a substantial impact on the town. The inclusion of these larger towns is being introduced on a trial basis in 2021 and will be reviewed thereafter.

Full details of the Scheme are available on my Department's website.