Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 April 2023
852. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the €121.3 million funding for Dublin’s north inner city announced in 2021. [18002/23]
View answerI understand the Question refers to the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF). In line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan (NDP), the URDF provides part-funding to applicant-led projects, enabling more compact and sustainable development 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.
To this end, the URDF has already allocated in excess of €1.6 billion under two separate calls for proposals since its inception in 2018. Providing assistance to 132 proposals, comprising almost 400 sub-projects, URDF projects are now active in every local authority area in the country.
In 2021, following the second call for proposals under the URDF, I announced a provisional allocation of €121,285,388 in URDF support for Dublin City Council's (DCC) North Inner City Concept Area 1 proposal. This significant integrated urban development and area based regeneration project for Dublin’s north inner city involved a series of 11 complementary sub-projects, interlinked with current and planned transport routes, and spatially clustered in 4 hubs. The following lists the 11 sub-projects along with their allocated URDF funding:
• Parnell Sq. Cultural Qtr. Phase 1 (€56,634,459)
• Markets & Public Realm Study & Works (€14,535,750)
• Parnell Sq. Public Realm Works (€14,187,041)
• 14-17 Moore St. (€12,170,000)
• Fruit & Vegetable Market (€5,625,000)
• Broadstone to Grand Canal Cycleway (€5,206,278)
• Five Lamps Public Realm Works (€4,826,860)
• Mountjoy Sq. Conservation Plan (€2,625,000)
• 41 Parnell Sq. (€2,250,000)
• Ryders Row (€1,875,000)
• Moore St. Public Realm Works (€1,350,000)
The Preliminary Business Case (PBC) for this Call 2 project was submitted to my Department in December 2022. Following assessment of the submission, on 6 March 2023 my Department approved DCC to proceed with 9 of the 11 sub-projects. This represents Decision Gate 1 in the project life cycle of the Public Spending Code (PSC) for these projects and approval to begin development of Detailed Project Briefs and Procurement Strategies as part of the next decision gate (Decision Gate 2 – Pre-Tender Approval).
The Parnell Square Cultural Quarter project is now subject to its own PBC which DCC expect to submit to my Department by the end of Q2 2023.
Subject to adherence with the URDF Funding Principles and DPER Circular 13/2014, all appropriate and reasonable expenditure incurred in progressing these projects to Decision Gate 2 (Design fees etc.) are eligible for recoupment from my Department.
While my Department works closely and communicates regularly with DCC in respect of project funding, responsibility for the advancement of this URDF projects through the various stages of planning, development and completion is, in the first instance, a matter for the Sponsoring Agency, DCC. Any queries regarding the timeline of this project should be directed to the Council.
It should be noted that all URDF supported projects must be carefully developed and managed by the Sponsoring Agency in accordance with the normal conditions and arrangements that apply to public sector managed projects including, exercising appropriate cost control and delivering projects as approved, and in full compliance with the Public Spending Code.
