Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 October 2022
81. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the Programme for Government’s commitment for an expanded town and village renewal scheme to bring vacant and derelict buildings back into use and promote residential occupancy; when communities can start applying for this funding; and the estimated amount available to each local authority. [53612/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Town and Village Renewal Scheme is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Since the introduction of the scheme in 2016 over €113 million has been allocated to more than 1,400 projects across Ireland.
A key focus of the 2021 Scheme was to renovate derelict and vacant buildings in our town centres, including for residential living. For 2021 the maximum grant available under the Scheme was increased to €500,000 to permit projects of additional scale to be funded.
The 2022 Scheme continued to build on the changes introduced in 2021 with an additional allocation of €2m. It also prioritised projects bringing vacant and derelict buildings back into use as multipurpose community spaces.
Applications under the main stream of the 2022 Town and Village Renewal Scheme are currently undergoing assessment as part of a competitive process and I hope to be in a position to announce details of the successful applications in the coming months.
A new Building Acquisition Measure was also introduced in the 2022 scheme, which allowed local authorities to apply for up to €400,000 to purchase up to two buildings for use as multipurpose community spaces. I was delighted in July to approve the purchase of 36 derelict and vacant buildings across rural Ireland under this new intervention. This initiative will see former banks, Garda stations and courthouses being given new leases of life in towns across Ireland.
