Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 April 2023
111. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the steps her Department is taking to collaborate with the LDA and Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to support the Town Centre First Policy Objectives in the developments it is involved with in towns with a population over 10,000 people, as outlined in action 9 of the Town Centre First policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19381/23]
View answerThe Town Centre First Policy is a major cross-government policy that supports the objectives of Our Rural Future by aiming at tackling vacancy, combating dereliction and breathing new life into our town centres. It applies to a wide range of towns of all sizes, from village and small towns to large towns with a population of over 10,000.
A National Town Centre First Office has now been established within the Local Government Management Agency with an initial 3-year work programme to drive Town Centre First actions and coordinate stakeholder engagement at a national level and across the local government sector.
My Department co-chairs the National Oversight and Advisory Group for the policy with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. This Group oversees the delivery of the policy and ensures there is clear stakeholder visibility in relation to implementation. The Group met for the first time in December and is due to meet again this week.
Central to the Town Centre First approach is the range of Governmental funding in place to support towns and villages, including the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund which specifically supports projects in towns with a population over 10,000 people.
The Land Development Agency has already been identified as stakeholder that can play an important role in the delivery of TCF and is already actively engaging with Local Authorities and other State bodies to identify the potential for reuse of vacant and underutilised State lands for residential purposes. My Department will continue engagement with the LDA to progress Action 9 as part of the broader TCF work programme.
