Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 December 2025
308. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way in which the URDF support for the Naas Canal Quarter Masterplan will be sequenced to integrate with the Naas Library and Cultural Centre and nearby assets; to confirm the drawdown profile for the €3.49 million Naas Town Renewal Masterplan allocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73056/25]
View answerUnder the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund's (URDF) first Call for Proposals, a provisional allocation of €195,000 in URDF support was announced for Kildare County Council's proposal to develop a Masterplan for the Canal Quarter area of Naas.
The Council received Preliminary Business Case approval for the development of the Canal Quarter Masterplan in August 2023 and Final Business Case Approval in June 2024 for the appointment of consultants to deliver the project. The project is estimated for completion in early 2026. The Masterplan incorporates the principles of Town Centre First - A Policy Approach for Irish Towns (2021) including consultation with a wide range of stakeholders and building on the Naas Local Area Plan (LAP). The URDF allocation currently approved for this project is €383,104.
Naas Library and Cultural Centre, was approved as a separate project under the first call for proposals, with URDF support of €6,826,898 provided towards the redevelopment of and rejuvenation of Naas Town Hall to provide a library and cultural centre in a historic town centre site. The library was officially opened to the public on 19th January 2024.
In 2021, following the second call for proposals under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), a provisional allocation of €3,496,374 in URDF support was announced for Kildare County Council's proposal – Naas Town Renewal Masterplan which consists of the following components:
• Naas Town Renewal Masterplan
• Background Assessments
• Assembly of Strategic Sites
• Technical Assistance for future Transport Interventions
As a result of some of the proposed site acquisitions under the Site Assembly project no longer being available to purchase, the allocation approved for the overall Naas Town Renewal Masterplan proposal is now €1,682,122, with the savings transferred to cover cost increases on other URDF projects in County Kildare. Kildare County Council has drawn down €1,412,411 in URDF support to date on the overall Naas Town Renewal Masterplan proposal.
Subject to satisfactory completion of both the Canal Quarter Masterplan and Naas Town Renewal Masterplan, it will be a matter for Kildare County Council to decide the next steps on any further advancement of the completed masterplans.
Finally, while my Department works closely and communicates regularly with Kildare County Council, it should be noted that responsibility for the advancement of URDF-supported projects through the various stages of the project lifecycle is, in the first instance, a matter for the Sponsoring Agency (in this case Kildare County Council). Any further queries regarding timelines for these projects should be directed to the Council.
