Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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252. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if, in the lifetime of this Government, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund will become operational again; when he expects the fund to be open for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22156/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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In keeping with the aims of the National Planning Framework (NPF) and Project Ireland 2040, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) demonstrates a tailored approach to the provision of Government support for urban development projects. Over its planned duration to 2030, URDF funding support in excess of €2 billion will be targeted to support the regeneration and development of key towns and cities.

The URDF applies to the five cities and their metropolitan areas, larger towns with a population of more than 10,000 people and to a number of smaller towns with fewer than 10,000 people but with more than 2,500 jobs and which function as significant centres of employment. To date, there have been three rounds ('calls') of funding provided under the URDF, with approximately €1.9 billion allocated. Under Call 1 and Call 2, 132 proposals, comprising approximately 430 individual projects, have been approved for funding. URDF supported projects are now active in every local authority area in the country. Of these projects, 125 are now substantially completed with the remainder still progressing through the various stages of the project lifecycle.

An interactive GIS Story Map site, containing details of all successful URDF projects under Call 1 and Call 2, is available to give elected representatives and members of the public access up-to-date information on all URDF supported projects at a Local Authority level. The site is available through the URDF site at: www.gov.ie/URDF.

While Calls 1 and 2 was for specific proposals, in January 2023 a third round of funding to address long term vacancy and dereliction, and support the key objectives of Housing for All and Town Centre First, was announced. A shift in focus from previous rounds of funding, Call 3 provided a €150 million revolving fund for local authorities to acquire long term vacant or derelict properties in URDF eligible towns and cities.

In line with the agreed Programme for Government, it is my intention to establish a new Towns and Cities Infrastructure Investment Fund to replace the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF). With this new fund it is the aim of my Department to continue and expand URDF-type investment in projects. This will allow for investment in infrastructure, the acquisition of land, assembly of sites and the de-risking of sites in existing towns and cities to maximise their potential growth.

The detailed arrangements for the implementation of these funding streams will be clarified further following completion of the National Development Plan Review, which is the responsibility of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitisation, and which will enable the level of additional capital funding for infrastructure investment to be determined. It is planned that the Review will be completed in line with the Summer 2025 timeline set out in the Programme for Government.