Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 June 2023
64. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of local authority requests to date under her Department's building acquisition measure to tackle vacancy and dereliction in rural Ireland. [28044/23]
View answerHow many local authority requests have been made to date under the Department's building acquisition measure to tackle vacancy and dereliction in rural Ireland?
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The town and village renewal scheme was introduced in 2016 and is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland.
In 2022, the scheme prioritised projects that bring vacant and derelict buildings back into use and promote residential occupancy in town centres.
In recognition of the urgent need to transform and regenerate town centres, I introduced a new building acquisition measure under the 2022 scheme. The purpose of this measure was to support local authorities to immediately acquire derelict or vacant buildings with the intention of using these projects for town regeneration purposes in line with the aims of the overarching town and village renewal scheme and Town Centre First policy. I am happy to confirm that 29 properties were purchased by local authorities under the 2022 measure.
Building on the success of the 2022 measure, on 27 March 2023 I announced a new fund for the building acquisition measure, which is again designed to tackle vacancy and dereliction in rural Ireland. The original closing date for receipt of applications under the building acquisition measure was 28 April 2023 but this was extended to 5 May 2023 in response to requests from local authorities to extend the deadline. A total of 35 applications valued at just over €8 million were received from 22 local authorities. This week, I approved the first tranche of successful projects under this measure. I am happy to confirm that 23 applications have now been approved for €5.4 million in funding. In each case, these approved projects will now proceed through the standard process of agreeing the terms of purchase. In order not to prejudice this process in any way, full details of the individual projects involved will be announced as the relevant local authorities complete the purchase of the buildings in question. A further tranche of applications is still under consideration and as this process is progressed, further approvals will issue.
I thank the Minister for her answer. I note the fact that it seems to be increasing from 29 properties to a prospective number of 35. That is testament to the success of the scheme. The reason I pose this question is because in my own constituency and specifically my hometown of Mallow, we have a hotel which has lain derelict for many years now. It is called the Central Hotel. It was a hub of activity but has sadly gone to rack and ruin. The question that arises in my mind is whether there would be scope, if the conditions were right, for the local authority to purchase a property of that type as part of a town and village renewal effort under the scheme. Would there be such scope for a local authority to purchase a hotel to turn it around and perhaps provide community gain or local accommodation?
The building acquisition measure was a new idea that was introduced last year as part of Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, which is our five-year policy for rural Ireland. It has proven very popular. There has been great feedback from the local authorities and communities on its success.
The Deputy mentioned the Central Hotel in Mallow. This is the sort of thing we are targeting. We are trying to look at old buildings that have gone past their use and repurpose them for 21st century use. For example, we have had many banks and old primary schools, shops and Garda stations. The Deputy should talk to the local authority about the Central Hotel in Mallow, and it should look at that property. There is no reason why it cannot put in an application. I can tell the Deputy about an old hotel in Boyle in County Roscommon that lay vacant for years on end. The local authority acquired it, and we provided funding for a new library along with other community facilities. It is up to the local authority identify them. It is certainly the type of project we want to see funded.
The fact that the Minister quoted a precedent and an actual example in Boyle gives me some grounds for hope. The Minister of State will also be familiar with the Central Hotel. Buildings like that which become so derelict are in private ownership. There does not appear to be any clear intent by the owner or owners of the property as to what their intentions are for the property. The local authority and the taxpayers have spent a fortune on the upkeep of what is a derelict building in terms of safety measures and various fires that have broken out. It has cost the taxpayer quite a significant amount through the years. I take some solace from the Minister's response in that there is a precedent for the acquisition by a local authority of a hotel and that perhaps the same idea could be brought to bear. I certainly will approach the local authority on that basis.
I encourage the Deputy to speak to the local authority. As I said, there were many cases where prominent buildings in local towns and villages were identified. In the Deputy's own county, for example, the FCA hall in Mitchelstown was acquired and is being turned into a space for community use. Some people use it as maybe a home for the men's shed or women's shed. This is very much a bottom-up approach. It is about engaging with the community. The community identifies a building they can perhaps use and works with the local authority to get the application in to my Department. We are happy to support them. I travel around the country and it does one's heart good to see some of the buildings that have been transformed for 21st century use. Many of them were used as remote working hubs initially but there are other uses, perhaps for a youth cafe such as the one I visited in Ballaghaderreen. There are loads of opportunities and the good news is that there is a few bob there to help people do it.
