Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2022
47. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the town and village renewal scheme will open for applications; the types of projects that will be eligible for funding in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27622/22]
View answerThe Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) is part of a range of measures to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland. The scheme is funded under Project Ireland 2040 as part of “Our Rural Future”.
Since the introduction of the Scheme in 2016, almost €113 million has been approved for more than 1,400 projects across the country. In February, I announced almost €18.5 million under the 2021 Scheme for projects which will benefit rural towns and villages the length and breadth of the country.
I launched the 2022 Town & Village Renewal Scheme on 27 May and a strong emphasis has been placed on projects which tackle vacancy and dereliction by bringing landmark town centre buildings back to life. The types of projects supported under the 2022 Scheme include:
- Projects that bring vacant and derelict buildings and sites back into use as multi-purpose spaces;
- the repurposing of existing community or publicly owned buildings in town or village centres to facilitate remote working;
- the development of parks, green spaces, public outdoor dining spaces and recreational amenities in town centres to make them vibrant hubs; and
- marketing campaigns targeted at attracting remote workers to their county/region.
- This year I have also introduced a Building Acquisition Measure that will allow local authorities to purchase vacant or derelict buildings in 2022 for future development as community facilities.
