Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2023
1088. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of a project (details supplied); the amount awarded; the amount drawn down to date; the contractors engaged; and the minutes of all meetings relating to the fund under the Rural Regeneration Development Plan. [39466/23]
View answerThe Rural Regeneration and Development Fund provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in rural towns and villages across Ireland. To date, 215 projects have been approved for funding of €403 million for projects costing almost €551.7 million. Calls for applications to the Fund are sought under two categories – Category 1 and Category 2. Category 1 relates to large scale ambitious capital projects with all necessary planning and other consents in place, and which are ready to proceed. Category 2 provides funding to enable the development of project proposals suitable for future calls for Category 1 applications. The Fermoy Town Centre Renewal Project was approved for funding of €1,540,000 from the Third Call for Category 2 applications in 2022. The lead party is Cork County Council. This project will develop plans for the adaptive and sustainable reuse of vacant town centre buildings to accommodate a range of uses that will address the social, economic, cultural and physical needs of the town, the development of an exemplar Craft Makers Hub, the provision of enhanced recreational facilities and place making and public realm enhancements. A multidisciplinary team has been established to bring the project to a stage where planning is in place and it is ready to be submitted to a call for Category 1 applications. Preliminary site investigations, including the desktop traffic public realm enhancement plan, have been completed. Cork County Council are currently awaiting the outcome of a report from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) in order to progress the Part 8 approval of the public realm plans. Public consultation will be carried out once the Part 8 process begins. RRDF funding of €200,000 has been drawn down to date towards the purchase of a property. The lead party to the project has advised that the project's estimated completion date is Quarter 4 of 2024.
