Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 February 2017
194. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the tax incentives and reliefs that will be available to owners of properties in rural towns and villages following on from the Government launch of its rural development action plan. [6377/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Action Plan for Rural Development, which was launched on 23rd January, contains a number of measures which have the objective of rejuvenating Ireland's rural towns and villages to make them more attractive places in which to live and work, and to increase their tourism potential.
Under my own Department's remit, these measures include the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the CLÁR programme, the Built Heritage Investment Scheme and the Structures at Risk Fund.
The Town and Village Renewal scheme will be launched shortly. However, as part of this scheme, I intend to launch a pilot project to encourage residential occupancy in rural towns and villages. This pilot will be launched separately in the second half of the year when details of the scheme have been finalised in consultation with relevant Departments. The pilot will examine ways in which properties that are currently not in use in town centres can be renovated to allow them to be used for residential purposes. I do not, at this stage, envisage that this scheme will involve tax reliefs or incentives.
Questions in relation to the availability of tax incentives and reliefs for property owners more generally are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Finance.
