1520. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if any financial support has been provided to businesses whose primary activity is the retail of vaping products, e-cigarettes or nicotine inhaling products under the town and village renewal scheme, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, or any related scheme administered by local authorities on behalf of his Department, in each of the years 2020 to date, by local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64770/26]

In line with policy commitments in Our Rural Future and Town Centre First, my department implements a range of measures to support the revitalisation and regeneration of rural towns and villages including the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund.

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. This scheme places particular emphasis on projects which support sustainable employment creation, town centre resilience and regeneration, enhance streetscapes, and bringing derelict and vacant buildings and sites back into use as multi-purpose community spaces.

The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) is a major capital investment programme, which supports large-scale, ambitious projects that can deliver sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. The RRDF provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns and villages across rural Ireland.

These schemes, and related schemes such as CLÁR and the Outdoor Recreation Investment Scheme, provide capital grant support to local authorities and community organisations, and are not directed at funding private businesses whose primary activity is the retail of vaping products, e-cigarettes or nicotine inhaling products.