Vol. 501 No. 6
265 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the proposals, if any, he has to extend the urban renewal scheme (details supplied) in Dungarvan, County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6699/99]
Designations under the new urban renewal scheme announced last week were based on integrated area plans, IAPs, submitted by local authorities and were in line with recommendations made by an expert advisory panel which I established to assess all of the plans submitted.
Guidelines for the new urban renewal scheme made it clear that in selecting areas for the preparation of integrated area plans, local authorities were expected to give priority to areas in cities and towns with strong urban characteristics and the highest concentrations of physical decay and socio-economic disadvantage.
Dungarvan was unsuccessful in getting a recommendation for designation for all of the area recommended by Waterford County Council as the panel considered the amount of land proposed for designation to be excessive. They also expressed reservations at inadequacies in the IAP in terms of urban design, social content or reference to the archaelogical importance of the town.
With regard to the creamery site the panel confined its recommendation for designation to one sub area at Bridge House, Davitt's Quay, which will qualify for commercial tax incentives only.
There is no proposal to designate further areas under the urban renewal scheme which runs until 28 February, 2002; only areas recommended by the expert panel have been designated.
