Sean Fleming
Question:347. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide funding for a project in Laois (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21231/26]
View answerThursday, 19 March 2026
Questions (347)
Written answers
The new Towns and Cities Regeneration Investment Fund, which I announced on 5 March, 2026 and which is currently open for applications, will continue to support urban regeneration projects and the development of sustainable communities.
Building on the success of the previous Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), which focused on supporting regeneration projects in the larger towns and cities, the new Fund will also provide a greater focus on disadvantaged areas and a wider scope of eligibility to include smaller towns. All towns with a population of over 9,000 are now eligible to apply in that context. Based on the latest population figures available from Census 2022, Mountrath would not met the eligibility criteria for funding under the new Fund.
However, the Deputy may wish to note that the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), overseen by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG), is targeted at settlements and rural areas with fewer than 10,000 people located outside city boundaries and the Dublin metropolitan area. Further information on the RRDF and its current Call for Proposals can be accessed on the DRCDG website: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-rural-and-community-development-and-the-gaeltacht/policy-information/rural-regeneration-and-development-fund/#eligibility