Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 May 2017
192. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the position regarding the review of the rural economic development zone initiative with regard to its impact on rural communities; the estimated date of completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23390/17]
View answerRural Economic Development Zones (REDZ) are geographic areas that reflect the spatial patterns of local economic activity and development. The central objective of the REDZ concept is to use the synergies and interdependencies between rural towns and their outlying areas to generate local economic activity.
A pilot REDZ initiative was launched in 2015 and, based on that pilot, I launched a further phase of the initiative in 2016. Following a competitive process, I approved total funding of €6.142 million in 2016 for 47 REDZ projects across the country.
As outlined in the Action Plan for Rural Development, I intend to conduct a review of the REDZ initiative this year. I anticipate that the review will commence in Quarter 3 and that it will be finalised by the end of the year.
In the meantime, based on initial feedback from the 2015 REDZ pilot, I am welcoming, under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme which I launched in April, applications that demonstrate a REDZ-type component, to stimulate economic activity between towns/villages and their outlying areas.
