Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 September 2023
68. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the strategies she will employ with respect to reducing the rate of commercial vacancies in Kilrush and Shannon towns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41415/23]
View answerThe Town Centre First Policy is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. It supports the Our Rural Future vision for a thriving rural Ireland which is integral to our national economic, social, cultural and environmental wellbeing and development.
While the Town Centre First policy approach is designed to contribute to the reduction of vacant and derelict properties by breathing new life into rural towns and villages, my Department is not directly responsible for dealing with the issue of commercial vacancy. However, my Department is actively supporting regeneration projects in County Clare though our many initiatives.
In December 2021, I announced €2.6m in funding for 26 towns for the development of Town Centre First (TCF) Plans to develop a vision for town centres and to identify potential future projects in the area. The Plans identify opportunities to tackle dereliction and vacancy, promote town centre living and strengthen the local economy. For example, Clare Local Authority was awarded funding to complete a TCF Plan for Sixmilebridge and this plan can be viewed on the local authority website.
Additionally, Town Regeneration Officers are being appointed across the 26 rural local authorities, including within Clare County Council, to drive the policy at local level. They will work closely with Vacant Homes Officers, building linkages with the Town Team and other stakeholders in order to tackle issues regarding rural regeneration, vacancy and dereliction.
Central to the Town Centre First approach is the range of support funding in place, including my Department’s Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, which both aim to prioritise addressing vacancy and dereliction throughout rural Ireland.
Under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme in Kilrush for example, my Department’s Building Acquisition Measure in 2022 supported the purchase of a derelict building with funding of €175,000 to transform it into an educational, training and research facility. I also supported the conversation of derelict building into a remote working hub with funding of €100,000 in 2017.
In Shannon, my Department supported delivery of an element of the Shannon Town Green Infrastructure plan with funding of €95,000 in 2016 and supported the renovation and extension of the Aviation Museum with funding of €160,000 in 2018.
Furthermore, the Ennistymon Multi-Service Innovation Centre project was allocated €1,023,300 RRDF funding to convert a vacant commercial building (SuperValu) in the centre of town into a multi-purpose centre that includes community rooms, office space, hot-desking facilities and a family resource centre.
My Department remains fully committed to the success of the Town Centre First policy to deliver on the goal of revitalising rural towns and villages as set out in Our Rural Future.
