Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 February 2017
164. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if there are any grant aid programmes currently within his Department or due to come online shortly which provide funding for assisting persons in the refurbishment of buildings in town centres for residential or commercial purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6230/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for a Partnership Government, published in May 2016, sets out the ambitious priority attached to urban regeneration by the Government, incorporating a series of specific actions aimed at facilitating the regeneration of our urban centres, many of which have been adversely impacted by our recent economic difficulties. The Government's Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness – Rebuilding Ireland, published in July 2016, further reinforces the Government's commitment to the area of urban regeneration.
In this context, the Government launched the Town and Village Renewal Scheme last August with an allocation of €10 million in funding for the year. A sum of €380,000 was made available to each of the 26 counties for 2016 under this initial phase of the scheme. Local Authorities, in conjunction with local communities and businesses, were each invited to submit up to eight proposals by the end of September for approval. Following an assessment of the proposals received, my colleague, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs announced (on 4 November) details of 172 towns and villages which will benefit from the funding available under this year’s Town and Village Renewal Scheme. The full list of towns benefitting under the scheme is available on the website of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (www.ahrrga.gov.ie). Increased funding of €12 million has been provided in Budget 2017 to enhance this scheme with a view to increasing the attractiveness and sustainability of our towns and villages as places in which to live and work.
The Programme for Government also commits to examining a series of further initiatives, such as:
- the introduction of a similar scheme to the ‘Living City Initiative’ to regenerate urban centres and villages throughout Ireland,
- examining the scope to reform the Derelict Sites Act to tackle the under-use and hoarding of derelict land by the State, semi-State and private sectors,
- the establishment of a National Register of Derelict Sites, in addition to the new vacant site levy, to bring vacant and under-utilised sites into beneficial use for housing and urban regeneration purposes,
- the mandating of local authorities with better land management powers, including the possibility of additional CPO capabilities, and
- various other measures, which were further developed under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, and especially those under Pillar 5 aimed at re-using vacant housing stock and which have already been launched, such as –
- the Repair and Lease Initiative, providing funding to the owners of vacant properties for their refurbishment and subsequent long-term leasing to local authorities for social housing purposes (€140m funding over 5 years),
- the Buy and Renew Initiative, facilitating local authorities to purchase and renew housing units in need of remediation and make them available for social housing use (€25m funding for 2017),
- the purchase by the Housing Agency of vacant buy-to-let properties on the portfolios of financial institutions and investors for social housing use (€70m funding in 2016).
To drive forward these and other considerations, a Working Group, chaired by my colleague, the Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal and comprising senior representatives from my Department, local authorities and other relevant bodies, has been established to bring forward proposals for new urban regeneration measures as early as possible. It is intended that the new measures will complement the existing regeneration programme under my Department's Social Housing Capital Programme, as well as other social regeneration initiatives already under way. Having held its inaugural meeting in mid-June 2016, the Working Group has met on three occasions and is due to meet again in the coming weeks to consider issues and emerging proposals, including the scope for further grant aid and incentive programmes to facilitate urban regeneration generally.
