I propose to take Questions Nos. 340 to 343, inclusive, together.
The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) was launched in 2018 to support more compact and sustainable development. The Fund is providing part-funding for projects that will enable a greater proportion of residential and mixed-use development to be delivered within the existing built-up footprints of our cities and large towns, while also ensuring that more parts of our urban areas can become attractive and vibrant places in which people choose to live and work, as well as to invest and to visit.
The URDF is one of four funds established under the National Development Plan 2018-2027 and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has responsibility for its implementation. The URDF has a total allocation of €2 billion to 2027, with €150 million, inclusive of €84m in capital carryover, available to fund URDF supported projects in 2021.
In keeping with the aims of the National Planning Framework (NPF) and Project Ireland 2040, the URDF demonstrates a new and more tailored approach to the provision of Government support. Over its planned duration up to 2027, URDF support will be targeted in an integrated, dynamic and responsive way to support the regeneration and rejuvenation of our towns and cities.
Already, the URDF is providing assistance for major projects that will contribute to the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s five cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and National Development Plan.
Applications under Call 1 were open to public bodies and on 26 November 2018, URDF support was announced for a total of 88 projects throughout the country, one of which was later withdrawn by the applicant. In mid-2019 approval in principle and provisional funding allocations issued in respect of 87 projects across the country.
Of the 87 proposals approved under Call 1, 46 were in respect of feasibility studies or master planning and 41 were in respect of capital projects of which 24 have commenced .
This significant pipeline of projects is set to have a transformational impact in urban areas across the country. Through the URDF, successful applicants are receiving targeted integrated support for innovative holistic solutions to the issues that have hindered the regeneration and rejuvenation of our large towns and cities. To date provisional allocations totalling almost €300m have issued in respect of these projects.
The programme has been very well received and supported, and while responsibility for the advancement of proposals is, in the first instance, a matter for the relevant applicant my Department is working closely with applicants to advance these projects as quickly as possible.
Call 2 for proposals under the URDF was announced in 2020, with a primary focus on contributing to compact growth objectives through the support of integrated urban developments, strategic development areas combining a number of elements and schemes that support wider climate action objectives and liveability factors within our cities and towns. Applications under Call 2 were open to local authorities only. 76 proposals were received, with every local authority submitting at least one application. Because of the nature of the URDF programme the proposals are of significant scale and complexity, and each requires detailed assessment.
This assessment process is nearing completion, and I intended to soon announce a new tranche of approved URDF supported proposals, which will augment the existing pipeline of projects from Call 1 and contribute to the achievement of Programme for Government commitments and the objectives of the National Planning Framework and Project Ireland 2040.
The Table below lists the 87 projects approved under Call 1 together with up-to-date provisional URDF funding allocations and details of the payments made to each applicant in respect of their projects in 2019, 2020, and to date in 2021. As the announcement of successful proposals under Call 1 of the URDF was made in late 2018 there was no expenditure on the URDF supported capital programme in that year.
County
|
Applicant
|
Project
|
Provisional Allocation
€
|
Expenditure 2019
€
|
Expenditure 2020
€
|
Carlow
|
Carlow County Council
|
Carlow Town Master Plan
|
580,000
|
75,481
|
426,474
|
Cavan
|
Cavan County Council
|
Abbeylands Redevelopment -Cavan Town Centre
|
262,500
|
0
|
242,432
|
Clare
|
Clare County Council
|
The Venue Shannon
|
250,000
|
3,543
|
154,594
|
Clare
|
Clare County Council
|
Parnell Street and the Lanes and Bow-Ways
|
3,665,339
|
200,445
|
1,251,000
|
Clare
|
Clare County Council
|
Barrack Square and Old Barrack Street and O’Connell Square and High Street
|
189,000
|
45,922
|
51,972
|
Cork City
|
Cork City Council
|
Beamish and Crawford / Grand Parade Quarter
|
916,000
|
13,146
|
166,980
|
Cork City
|
Cork City Council
|
Cork City Docklands
|
450,000
|
175,878
|
87,694
|
Cork City
|
Port of Cork
|
Tivoli Docks
|
1,312,500
|
0
|
337,500
|
Cork City
|
Irish Rail
|
Kent Station Yard (Site enabling)
|
750,000
|
70,419
|
19,922
|
Cork County
|
Cork County Council
|
Carrigaline Western Relief Road
|
6,400,208
|
0
|
0
|
Cork County
|
Cork County Council
|
Midleton Main Street Public Improvements
|
1,921,985
|
119,468
|
48,525
|
Cork County
|
Cork County Council
|
Midleton Permeability Package of Proposals
|
187,500
|
29,520
|
0
|
Cork County
|
Cork County Council
|
Cobh UEA - Public Realm - Diaspora Centre
|
277,500
|
0
|
0
|
Cork County
|
Cork County Council
|
Carrigaline Public Realm
|
112,500
|
4,175
|
16,502
|
Cork County
|
Cork County Council
|
Carrigtwohill –Design and Planning works
|
562,500
|
0
|
117,285
|
Cork County
|
Cork County Council
|
Mallow Town Regeneration
|
1,480,500
|
67,033
|
381,733
|
Donegal
|
Donegal County Council
|
Letterkenny 2040 (Public Realm and Site Acquisition)
|
1,942,536
|
16,974
|
0
|
Dublin City
|
Dublin City Council
|
Santry River Restoration Project
|
750,000
|
0
|
0
|
Dublin City
|
Dublin City Council
|
Artists' Workspaces
|
200,000
|
0
|
190,000
|
Dublin City
|
Dublin City Council
|
Inchicore - St Michael's Estate & Environs Regeneration
|
150,000
|
97,821
|
0
|
Dublin City
|
Dublin City Council
|
Rutland Street NEIC
|
8,969,460
|
1,571,123
|
759,608
|
Dublin City
|
Dublin City Council
|
Park West/Cherry Orchard Industrial Lands Analysis
|
150,000
|
0
|
22,373
|
Dublin City
|
Dublin City Council
|
Naas Road LAP lands
|
200,000
|
0
|
0
|
Dublin City
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Campus at Grand Canal Quay (Public Realm Re-use)
|
1,500,000
|
1,500,000
|
0
|
Dublin City
|
Dept of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
|
Redevelopment and repurposing of the historically significant No. 11 Parnell Square
|
3,862,500
|
0
|
0
|
Dublin County
|
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
|
Stillorgan (Public Realm works)
|
7,658,379
|
77,706
|
2,825,962
|
Dublin County
|
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
|
Dundrum Community, Cultural and Civic Action Plan
|
65,679
|
29,618
|
32,777
|
Dublin County
|
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
|
Spatial and Economic Action Plan for Dun Laoghaire
|
75,000
|
0
|
0
|
Dublin County
|
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
|
Cherrywood Public Parks, Greenways & Attenuation
|
13,358,102
|
8,382
|
356,031
|
Dublin County
|
Fingal County Council
|
Balbriggan Planning and Design Works
|
2,125,000
|
65,198
|
299,704
|
Dublin County
|
Fingal County Council
|
Sustainable Swords
|
375,000
|
0
|
0
|
Dublin County
|
South Dublin County Council
|
Tallaght Town Centre (Civic Plaza/Link Road)
|
31,894,325
|
98,457
|
1,711,010
|
Dublin County
|
South Dublin County Council
|
Naas Road/Ballymount
|
200,000
|
0
|
109,572
|
Galway City
|
Galway City Council
|
Ardaun Upgrade of Martin Roundabout
|
2,703,000
|
0
|
0
|
Galway City
|
Galway City Council
|
Sandy Road Liosbán – Funding is to support the preparation of a Development Feasibility Study
|
187,500
|
0
|
0
|
Galway City
|
Galway City Council
|
Cycling and Walking – Initial funding for new/upgrade cycleways
|
2,900,000
|
0
|
0
|
Galway City
|
National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG)
|
Nuns Island Master Planning
|
236,000
|
126,862
|
59,676
|
Galway City
|
Galway Harbour Company
|
Regeneration of Galway City Inner Harbour
|
285,000
|
121,628
|
145,448
|
Kerry
|
Kerry County Council
|
Phase I Tralee Town Centre - Rock Street, Russell Street and Bridge Street
|
2,606,511
|
9,225
|
114,547
|
Kerry
|
Kerry County Council
|
Smarter Travel Killarney (Link & Public Realm)
|
1,000,000
|
25,046
|
0
|
Kerry
|
Kerry County Council
|
Áras Phádraig Masterplan
|
112,500
|
0
|
106,875
|
Kildare
|
Kildare County Council
|
Naas Library (including Public Realm works)
|
4,445,243
|
199,631
|
211,050
|
Kildare
|
Kildare County Council
|
Celbridge Southern Relief Road & Second Liffey Crossing
|
400,000
|
8,939
|
151,130
|
Kildare
|
Kildare County Council
|
Newbridge Cultural and Civic Quarter
|
492,000
|
0
|
0
|
Kildare
|
Kildare County Council
|
Canal Quarter Naas
|
195,000
|
0
|
0
|
Kilkenny
|
Kilkenny County Council
|
Abbey Quarter (Public Realm enabling)
|
6,154,000
|
621,170
|
972,545
|
Laois
|
Laois County Council
|
Portlaoise - A Cultural Quarter
|
7,028,640
|
556,240
|
169,152
|
Laois
|
Laois County Council
|
Portlaoise - A Low Carbon Town
|
2,026,372
|
56,469
|
698,610
|
Leitrim
|
Leitrim County Council
|
Public Realm Improvement Scheme for the town of Carrick on Shannon
|
6,502,500
|
485,603
|
3,181,832
|
Limerick
|
Limerick City & County Council
|
O’Connell Street Urban Centre Revitalisation Project
|
4,500,000
|
0
|
0
|
Limerick
|
Limerick City & County Council
|
Digital Collaboration and Virtual Reality Centre
|
937,500
|
0
|
108,491
|
Limerick
|
Limerick City & County Council
|
Worldclass Waterfront
|
350,000
|
0
|
0
|
Limerick
|
Limerick City & County Council
|
Social and Economic Model
|
110,000
|
4,500
|
0
|
Limerick
|
Limerick City & County Council
|
Living Georgian City Programme
|
1,200,000
|
0
|
0
|
Limerick
|
Limerick City & County Council
|
Opera Project (Site enabling)
|
1,839,000
|
156,801
|
0
|
Limerick
|
University of Limerick
|
Digital District (Inner City Digital Hub)
|
750,000
|
0
|
750,000
|
Longford
|
Longford County Council
|
Longford Connected (Public Realm Marketsquare)
|
2,990,355
|
290,398
|
376,898
|
Louth
|
Louth County Council
|
Long Walk Quarter Dundalk
|
533,000
|
0
|
5,445
|
Louth
|
Louth County Council
|
Westgate Vision Drogheda
|
476,000
|
0
|
0
|
Mayo
|
Mayo County Council
|
Ballina Innovation Quarter
|
5,361,004
|
0
|
131,120
|
Mayo
|
Mayo County Council
|
Castlebar Urban Greenway Link
|
1,875,000
|
5,757
|
22,744
|
Mayo
|
Mayo County Council
|
Castlebar Military Barracks
|
141,391
|
129,810
|
11,581
|
Meath
|
Meath County Council
|
Ashbourne Road and Public Realm Improvement
|
6,376,050
|
0
|
2,020,013
|
Meath
|
Meath County Council
|
Flowerhill Regeneration Project
|
75,000
|
28,050
|
27,335
|
Meath
|
Meath County Council
|
Navan Active Land Management Project
|
3,683,000
|
38,204
|
2,466,252
|
Meath
|
Meath County Council
|
Railway Street Regeneration and County Archive
|
187,500
|
22,124
|
13,838
|
Monaghan
|
Monaghan County Council
|
Dublin Street Regeneration Monaghan
|
1,285,108
|
34,806
|
181,282
|
Offaly
|
Offaly County Council
|
Tullamore Urban Area (Public Realm)
|
3,000,000
|
105,925
|
2,012,866
|
Roscommon
|
Roscommon County Council
|
Public Realm Plan - Market Square & Main Street
|
4,775,075
|
94,125
|
284,727
|
Roscommon
|
Roscommon County Council
|
Roscommon Town Centre
|
350,000
|
0
|
4,908
|
Sligo
|
Sligo County Council
|
Eastern Garavogue Bridge & Approach Roads Scheme
|
6,000,000
|
0
|
0
|
Sligo
|
Sligo County Council
|
O'Connell Street Enhancement
|
2,134,332
|
236,348
|
568,649
|
Sligo
|
Sligo County Council
|
Sligo Cultural Plaza
|
750,000
|
0
|
19,146
|
Sligo
|
Sligo County Council
|
Sligo Public Realm
|
560,000
|
47,662
|
146,976
|
Tipperary
|
Tipperary County Council
|
Liberty Square
|
4,390,000
|
600,000
|
2,299,912
|
Tipperary
|
Tipperary County Council
|
Clonmel 2030 Transformational Regeneration
|
10,594,961
|
153,313
|
858,150
|
Waterford
|
Waterford City & County Council
|
Waterford City and Environs - North Quays (Infrastructure enabling)
|
80,618,212
|
3,984,525
|
2,229,111
|
Waterford
|
Waterford City & County Council
|
Tramore Town Centre
|
2,172,500
|
131,920
|
982,749
|
Westmeath
|
Westmeath County Council
|
Loughanaskin Masterplanning
|
750,000
|
0
|
0
|
Westmeath
|
Westmeath County Council
|
Canal Avenue & Environs Regeneration Project
|
1,706,250
|
0
|
253,836
|
Westmeath
|
Westmeath County Council
|
Athlone Tourism Cultural Quarter
|
750,000
|
355,500
|
180,352
|
Westmeath
|
Westmeath County Council
|
Blackhall, Mullingar
|
2,452,500
|
1,711,513
|
618,361
|
Westmeath
|
Westmeath County Council
|
Athlone Town Centre Regeneration and Enhancement
|
750,000
|
0
|
38,151
|
Wexford
|
Wexford County Council
|
Trinity Wharf Project
|
2,028,000
|
1,434,840
|
319,021
|
Wicklow
|
Wicklow County Council
|
Bray Public Transport Bridge
|
6,450,000
|
115,824
|
319,462
|
Wicklow
|
Wicklow County Council
|
Arklow Historic Town Core
|
2,351,013
|
85,512
|
1,239,724
|
Wicklow
|
Wicklow County Council
|
Wicklow Town - Relocation and upgrading of the library and Fitzwilliam square upgrade and street improvement.
|
4,627,409
|
551,645
|
3,844,394
|
|
|
Total
|
299,948,439
|
16,800,224
|
37,756,009
|