Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 March 2025
110. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there are plans to introduce or expand urban renewal schemes to rejuvenate town centres as part of new housing developments; if such plans include grant supports for building over existing businesses in town centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12707/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant introduced in July 2022, provides a grant of up to €50,000 for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent. A top-up grant of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed to be derelict, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000.
The grant is available to individuals for the refurbishment of vacant accommodation above shops.
In order to qualify for the grant the property must be vacant for 2 years or more at the time of application. Further information and scheme eligibility can be found at the line provided here: www.gov.ie/en/service/f8f1b-vacant-property-refurbishment-grant/
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce a "Living Above the Shop" top up grant which is currently being considered for progression.
Separately, the €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), a flagship element of Project Ireland 2040, supports a programme of significant transformational capital projects that will contribute to the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan. URDF Call 3 also supports acquisitions in each local authority to address long term vacancy and dereliction in URDF towns and cities.
An interactive GIS Story Map site gives elected representatives and members of the public access up to date information on all URDF supported projects at a Local Authority level. The site is available through the URDF site, www.gov.ie/URDF.
It is my intention to continue and expand URDF-type investment in projects as part of the new Towns and Cities Infrastructure Investment Fund. This will allow for investment in infrastructure, the acquisition of land, assembly of sites and the de-risking of sites in existing towns and cities to maximise their potential growth. The detailed arrangements for the implementation of these funding streams will be clarified further following completion of the National Development Plan Review, which will enable the level of additional capital funding for infrastructure investment to be determined.
