Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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66. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the safeguards that he will put in place to ensure that croí cónaithe aligns with the town centres-first policy and approach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59866/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Town Centre First, jointly developed by my Department and the Department of Rural and Community Development, sets out 33 actions which provide a co-ordinated framework across established national policy objectives (in particular the National Planning Framework, Housing for All and Our Rural Future), to address the decline in the health of our towns and to regenerate and revitalise them.

A key element of the Town Centre First policy is the development of Town Centre First Plans. These Town Centre First Plans will assist towns in accessing a range of potential funding programmes available for town regeneration across a number of government departments and agencies. This work will be supported by a network of Local Authority Town Regeneration Officers, which will be funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development.

The policy is underpinned by funding available through schemes such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, the Croí Conaithe (Towns) Fund and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.

Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. Many areas of cities, towns and villages of all sizes face the blight of vacant properties, which, if brought back into use, could add real vibrancy and provide new accommodation in those areas. The Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund is a key initiative which underpins these policy objectives set out in Pathway Four of Housing for All.

Schemes under the Fund, which are delivered by local authorities, provide new choices for people to live in towns and villages in Ireland, through the provision of a grant to support the refurbishment of vacant properties and by providing serviced sites in towns and villages to people in order to build their own homes.

In July, I launched the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant as part of the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund. The grant benefits those who wish to turn a formerly vacant house or building into their principal private residence. The grant was initially launched in respect of vacant properties in towns and villages but I am pleased to say that as of the 15 November, the grant was expanded to include eligible vacant properties in both cities and rural areas. Further details are available on the following link: . This ensures that maximum use is made of existing dwellings for residential purposes.

In September, I launched the Ready to Build Scheme, also funded by the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund. Under the Ready to Build Scheme, local authorities will make serviced sites in towns and villages available to potential individual purchasers to build their homes. These sites will be available at a discount on the market value of the site for the building of a property for occupation as the principal private residence of the purchaser.

Local authorities will consider and prioritise applications under both schemes as part of the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund based on the following criteria:

- the overall levels of vacancy and dereliction within their administrative areas;

- in line with considerations outlined in the Framework of Priorities in the scheme outline;

- alignment with policies of the relevant development plan including areas / objectives identified for regeneration;

- the role that schemes under the Fund might play as part of wider town regeneration particularly in the light of Town Centre First Plans and integration with other committed regeneration funding through the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and the Towns and Villages Renewal Scheme.

While interim reviews will be ongoing, a comprehensive review and evaluation of the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund will be undertaken no later than mid-2024.