138. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if applications have been received from east Cork for the newly opened building and land acquisition measure under the town and village renewal scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38380/26]

The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) was introduced in 2016 and is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Since the launch of the scheme over €210 million has been allocated to over 1,900 projects nationally.

Delivered in partnership with local authorities, TVRS primarily targets funding at areas with populations of less than 10,000 people. Applications for towns with populations of up to 15,000 people are also accepted where the project is of a high quality, displays good value for money and has the potential to significantly benefit the town.

In 2022, in recognition of the need to transform and regenerate town centres a ‘Building Acquisition Measure’ was introduced under the TVRS to allow local authorities purchase vacant and derelict buildings for redevelopment into multi-purpose community spaces. In 2025, the scheme’s criteria was widened to allow the purchase of land in town and village centres under the ‘Building and Land Acquisition Measure’.

On the 29th April last I was delighted to announce a new Call for Proposals under the 2026 Building and Land Acquisition Measure. The approach will see our local authorities engaging at a community level to identify and prioritise potential applications that would meet the needs of their communities.

The closing date for the submission of applications to the Department by local authorities is the 29th May 2026. I look forward to receiving high quality applications from Cork and across the country, and to announcing the successful acquisitions in the months ahead.