Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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115. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if a town regeneration officer can be assigned to Macroom, County Cork under the town centre first programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17925/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Government recently published Town Centre First - A Policy Approach for Irish Towns. This publication represents a major new policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. It contains 33 actions which will give our towns the tools and resources they need to become more viable and attractive places in which to live, work, socialise and run a business.

Some 26 towns have already been allocated funding of €100,000 to produce their Town Centre First Plans, including Skibbereen in Cork. Additional towns in Cork and across the country will be supported to also develop plans as the policy is rolled out.

Action 3 of the new policy refers to the provision of Town Regeneration Officers (TROs). Town Regeneration Officers will be appointed in local authorities to drive the implementation of Town Centre First. They will be crucial to managing the implementation of the policy at a local level and to ensuring the development and implementation of Town Centre First plans. The role of the Town Regeneration Officers is outlined in Appendix 6 of the policy and includes supporting and building the capacity of the Town Teams.

I was delighted to secure additional funding of €2 million for these posts in Budget 2022. As a result, it is envisaged that a Town Regeneration Officer will be appointed in local authority areas across the country, including in Cork County Council. The officers will be responsible for delivery of the Town Centre First policy across the local authority area rather than being assigned solely to an individual town.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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116. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if there is a timeline for when town regeneration officers will be appointed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18043/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Government recently published Town Centre First - A Policy Approach for Irish Towns. This publications represents a major new policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. It contains 33 actions which will give our towns the tools and resources they need to become more viable and attractive places in which to live, work, socialise and run a business.

Action 3 of the new policy refers to the provision of Town Regeneration Officers (TROs). The TROs will be appointed in local authorities to drive the implementation of Town Centre First (TCF). TROs will be crucial to managing the implementation of the policy at a local level and ensuring the development and implementation of TCF plans. The role of the Town Regeneration Officers is outlined in the policy.

I was delighted to secure additional funding of €2 million for these posts in Budget 2022. As a result, it is envisaged that a TRO will be appointed in local authority areas across the country.

A National Town Centre First Office will drive the delivery of many of the recommendations outlined in the policy and support the co-ordinated roll-out of the policy by local authorities, Town Regeneration Officers, and Town Teams.

My Department has agreed the structure and funding for the national implementation office and the Town Regeneration Officers with local authorities. The first step is the recruitment of the head of the National Implementation Office which will be progressed shortly, and the recruitment of Town Regeneration Officers will follow on from this in the coming weeks.