Colm Burke
Question:1405. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the 2023 town and village renewal scheme will open for applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28567/23]
View answerTuesday, 13 June 2023
Questions (1405)
Written answers
The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) was introduced in 2016 and is one of a number of measures to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland. The scheme is funded under Project Ireland 2040 as part of “Our Rural Future”, and directly supports the delivery of the Town Centre First policy.
The Scheme is administered through local authorities, who work closely with local communities and businesses to develop proposals that can make a lasting impact in revitalising rural towns and villages across the country.
Since the launch of the Scheme in 2016, over €154 million has been allocated to more than 1,700 projects. Last year, I was delighted to confirm a total funding package of €29m across the various strands of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme to support a wide range of projects across rural Ireland.
Scheme priorities are reviewed at the end of each scheme year. In 2022, the TVRS prioritised projects that bring vacant and derelict buildings back into use and promote residential occupancy in town centres and I subsequently introduced a new Building Acquisition Measure (BAM) which resulted in an investment of over €6million for the purchase of 29 properties. Building on the success of the 2022 BAM, in March of this year I announced a further fund for this Measure again in 2023.
The review process for the main TVRS scheme is at an advanced stage in respect of its focus for 2023. As part of this process, I am anxious to ensure that the range of schemes offered by my Department continue to be structured in a way that ensures clear coherence, shows alignment with key policies such as Our Rural Future and the Town Centre First policy, and that delivers real and tangible benefits for communities. I expect to be in a position to launch the 2023 Town and Village Renewal Scheme scheme shortly.