Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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189. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide an update on the key strategic urban regeneration and development fund project for Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47215/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) was launched in 2018 to support more compact and sustainable development. The Fund is providing part-funding for applicant-led projects that will enable a greater proportion of residential and mixed-use development to be delivered within the existing built-up footprints of our cities and large towns, while also ensuring that more parts of our urban areas can become attractive and vibrant places in which people choose to live and work, as well as to invest and to visit.

In 2021, following a second call for proposals under the URDF, I announced approval in principle for Carlow County Council’s Public Realm and Pedestrian Linkage Project in Carlow Town. The approval of this project for URDF support followed Carlow County Council’s successful application to develop a master plan for the town centre under the URDF’s first call for proposals in 2018.

All URDF supported projects must be carefully developed and managed by the Sponsoring Agency, in this case Carlow County Council, in accordance with the normal conditions and arrangements that apply to public sector managed projects and in full compliance with the Public Spending Code.

While my Department works closely and communicates regularly with Carlow County Council in respect of project development, responsibility for the advancement of these URDF supported projects through the various stages of planning, development and completion is, in the first instance, a matter for Carlow County Council.

In June 2022, my Department informed Carlow County Council that it was satisfied that the Preliminary Business Case submitted in support of its Public Realm and Pedestrian Linkage proposal met the appropriate obligations of the Public Spending Code (PSC) and that continued support under the URDF funded capital programme was justified. This represented Decision Gate 1 in the PSC’s project lifecycle and gave approval in principle to Carlow County Council to proceed to the development of a Detailed Project Brief and Procurement Strategy as part of the Final Business Case Stage.

The material provided by Carlow County Council once submitted by the Council at this stage will form the basis for my Department's decision on whether or not to approve the proposal to proceed to Tendering - Decision Gate 2.