Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

796. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the details of the next tranche of URDF. [29531/25]

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

821. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the new towns and cities infrastructure investment fund will be established; the criteria for eligibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29777/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 796 and 821 together.

A flagship element of Project Ireland 2040, the €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is supporting a programme of significant transformational capital projects that will contribute to the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan. To date, there have been three rounds ('calls') of funding provided under the URDF which has resulted in the allocation of €1.9bn of funding. Under Call 1 and Call 2, 132 proposals comprising of some 430 individual projects, have been approved for funding.

While Calls 1 and 2 were for specific regeneration or development 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. As 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, with €142.5 million allocated to date.

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, including criteria for eligibility, 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.

In the meantime, the existing €2 billion URDF continues to drive delivery of the 132 successful applications for funding. It comprises 430 individual projects which are currently progressing through the various stages of the project lifecycle, along with a dedicated programme of acquisitions in each local authority to address long term vacancy and dereliction.

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.