Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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318. To ask the Minister for Finance the specific actions local authorities must undertake for the living city initiative to commence in newly designated areas. [57278/25]

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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320. To ask the Minister for Finance the criteria used to determine which cities and towns are included in the living city initiative; if a town (details supplied) will be able to join the initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57302/25]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 318 and 320 together.

The Living City Initiative (LCI) is a targeted measure which is aimed at very specific areas in urgent need of regeneration, it is provided for under sections 372AAA to 372AAD of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. It currently offers income or corporation tax relief for qualifying expenditure incurred in the refurbishment and conversion of qualifying residential and commercial buildings located within ‘Special Regeneration Areas' (SRAs) of the cities of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick and Waterford.

In my recent Budget address, I announced a number of enhancements to the LCI to strengthen the scheme to be included in Finance Bill 2025. The Bill was published on 16 October last.

I also announced that the LCI would be extended to the regional centres of Athlone, Drogheda, Dundalk, Letterkenny and Sligo.

The reason for the extension of the scheme to these places is that they are the five regional centres set out in the National Planning Framework. In particular, National Policy Objective 15 of the Framework provides for the application of:

"a tailored approach to urban development..."(s)trengthening Ireland’s overall urban structure, particularly in the Northern and Western and Midland Regions, to include the regional centres of Sligo and Letterkenny in the North-West, Athlone in the Midlands and cross-border networks focused on the Letterkenny-Derry North-West City Region and Drogheda-Dundalk-Newry on the Dublin-Belfast corridor...."

SRAs are designated by statutory order made by the Minister for Finance in accordance with powers provided for in the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997.

The existing SRAs for the LCI were designated following consultation with the relevant city councils and an independent review by a third party advisor. Specific criteria were set down in respect of the areas which should be included within the remit of the LCI which were required to be taken into account by the relevant councils when putting forward the proposed SRAs for each city.

The designation of the new SRAs will require careful planning and preparation in consultation with the relevant Local Authorities over the coming period. Engagement with these Local Authorities will commence in due course to set out the next step in the process.