Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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874. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will extend the street and shop front grant past November 2021 (details supplied). [46364/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The €7 million Streetscape Enhancement Initiative, which is a commitment in Our Rural Future, is designed to make 124 of our rural towns and villages more attractive and welcoming places for locals and visitors alike. Property owners will be part funded to improve the facades of buildings, carry out artwork and install features such as canopies and street furniture.

The initiative is being delivered by the Local Authorities on behalf of my Department. The maximum level of funding that can be provided to individual properties is set at a national level, with considerable discretion provided to Local Authorities to design the scheme locally to meet their individual needs.

The funding is being made available from savings elsewhere in my Department's vote and will not be available for use next year. As such, the works must be delivered by November and all grant funding fully utilised before the end of the year. My Department is working very closely with local authorities to ensure that as much flexibility as possible is being provided in the delivery of the scheme and to facilitate quick delivery on the ground.

I understand that there has been a good level of demand for the funding and I look forward to seeing the impact of this initiative on our towns and villages in the coming months.

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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875. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the streetscape enhancement initiative of her Department was open to applicants living in local authorities in rural areas of County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46565/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The €7 million Streetscape Enhancement Initiative, which is a commitment in Our Rural Future, is designed to make 124 of our rural towns and villages more attractive and welcoming places for locals and visitors alike. Property owners will be part funded to improve the facades of buildings, carry out artwork and install features such as canopies and street furniture.

The initiative is being delivered by the Local Authorities on behalf of my Department. Given the focus of the scheme, Local Authorities in Dublin, with the exception of Fingal, and the city councils in Cork and Galway are not eligible under the streetscape initiative.

Local Authorities throughout the country selected the individual towns and villages that would be targeted with this funding. In Dublin, this included Rush, Lusk, Donabate, Skerries, and Oldtown as selected by Fingal County Council.