Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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265. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the examination that has taken place of meanwhile use legislation and if he intends to pursue its application for cultural and artistic purposes. [32179/22]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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‘Meanwhile Use’ refers to the short-term use of temporarily empty buildings or land until they can be brought back into permanent use. This could benefit those seeking venues for the Night-Time Economy (NTE), while also finding compatible uses by day e.g. as ‘pop up’ shops, community gardens, exhibition, cultural or co-working spaces. Typically, landowners offer short term leases for low rent on empty spaces that are awaiting longer term development proposals, which can bring activity and help keep an area vibrant until wider regeneration plans can be realised.

Under Action 16 of the NTE Taskforce Report a dedicated workshop was held on 11 May 2022 to understand and determine the range and practical scope of planning and development-related actions that can support the NTE. One of the issues examined as part of this workshop was the role and scope of meanwhile use and how it might be developed in Ireland including how best it could be used to facilitate more activity in the cultural and NTE sectors.

A report on the NTE workshop held is being prepared and will be submitted to the Night-Time Economy Implementation Group for consideration and action.