Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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107. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding the town and village renewal scheme; if he is conscious of the need to address dereliction and vacancy in the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37248/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Our Rural Future, Ireland's Rural Development Policy 2021 – 2025, presents the Irish Government’s blueprint for the sustainable development of rural Ireland. It sets out a vision for a thriving rural Ireland, and establishes a strategic framework for the delivery of capital investment under my Department's Rural Development Investment Programme. Town centre regeneration is a key focus of my Department and the funding schemes available are guided by Our Rural Future and Town Centre First policies.

The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) launched in 2016 has allocated over €177 million to almost 1,800 projects nationally. The scheme primarily targets funding at rural towns and villages with populations of less than 10,000, however towns with a population of up to 15,000 may be eligible if a high-quality application is received.The 2025 Town and Village Renewal Scheme, launched in March, continues to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland through the three funding streams for project applications, the Building or Land Acquisition Measure, the Main Scheme and the Project Development Measure. The Town Centre First policy, TCF, is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres and provides an integrated policy approach for the development of Irish towns. It is underpinned by a range of capital funding streams by my Department such as the TVRS and the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund.The TCF policy was developed in conjunction with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. There are dedicated funding schemes, provided by that Department, available to local authorities to support larger and more urban towns, including the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant under the Croí Cónaithe initiative and the Thrive Scheme which revitalises our heritage buildings.

The challenges of addressing vacancy and dereliction remain a key priority across a number of Government Departments.

Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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108. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the supports he is providing to address vacancy and dereliction in rural towns and villages in County Offaly; the means by which he is working with local authorities to bring vacant buildings back into use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38275/25]

Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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132. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide details of funding available under the town and village renewal scheme, or other programmes, to tackle vacancy and dereliction in rural communities in County Offaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38276/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 132 together.

Launched in 2022, the Town Centre First (TCF) Policy is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. The policy supports the Our Rural Future vision for a thriving rural Ireland which is integral to our national economic, social, cultural and environmental wellbeing and development.

A key aim of both Town Centre First and the Our Rural Future policy is addressing vacancy and dereliction and ensuring that the policies and schemes in place directly address and tackle these issues in our rural towns and villages. This complements other national policies such as Housing for All and the National Planning Framework which also aim to tackle vacancy, achieve balanced regional development and support local communities.My Department will continue to work closely with colleagues in the National TCF Office, local authorities and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to ensure the ongoing implementation of the policy and to deliver on the goal of revitalising rural towns and villages, including those in County Offaly as committed to under the current Programme for Government.The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS), introduced by my Department in 2016, is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Since the launch of the scheme over €177 million has been allocated to almost 1,800 projects and of that over €6.7 million has been allocated to County Offaly. The 2025 TVRS, which was launched in March, continues to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland by focusing on projects which bring vacant and derelict buildings and lands back into use as community multi-purpose spaces through refurbishment and renovation. The 2025 scheme includes three funding streams for project applications, the Building or Land Acquisition Measure (BLAM), the Main Scheme and the Project Development Measure (PDM). The BLAM is now closed for applications and the assessment process is nearing completion. The Main Scheme and PDM are currently open for applications via local authorities with a closing date of 25 July 2025. Officials from my Department are continuing to liaise with local authorities to support the development of applications.The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), also administered by my Department is a major capital investment programme which seeks to support large-scale, ambitious projects which can achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. Funding under the RRDF is made available for projects that have the potential to assist in revitalising our rural towns and villages in line with policy principles contained in the Town Centre First Policy, through planned and sustainable regeneration, and is allocated to local authorities and other State-funded bodies, who take the lead role in individual projects. The fourth Call for Category 2 RRDF applications was launched in October 2024 and supports the development of potential projects to shovel ready status. The closing date for applications under this Call was the 14 March 2025. Following the assessment of applications, it is anticipated an announcement of successful projects will be made in the coming weeks. In relation to Category 1 RRDF funding, it is the intention that a Call for Proposals would be opened towards the end of this year.

In addition, my Department has also put in place support for town teams and Town Centre First Plans in recent years which help communities address the challenges of vacancy and dereliction. I will ensure that my Department continues to work across Government to ensure that we support towns and communities all across rural Ireland in the coming years.