372. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether consideration will be given to permitting an individual property assessment where a town-centre building is outside a special regeneration area because of general flood-risk considerations but has no recorded history of flooding; and whether appropriate site-specific flood-risk evidence could support its inclusion following a boundary review. [64259/26]

373. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the statutory and administrative mechanism by which the boundary of a special regeneration area under the Living City Initiative may be reviewed, extended or amended; whether Louth County Council may submit a revised proposal for Drogheda; and if he will invite the council to review the exclusion of parts of Shop Street and the River Boyne area. [64258/26]

374. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether flood risk or proximity to the River Boyne was used to exclude any properties or areas from the Drogheda special regeneration area; the maps, assessments, datasets and advice relied upon; the bodies consulted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64255/26]

375. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether a location (details supplied) was included in the special regeneration area proposed by Louth County Council; the reason it was not included in the final designated area; and if the exclusion of this property and the surrounding area will be reviewed. [64256/26]

376. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the process and criteria used to determine the final boundary of the Drogheda special regeneration area under the Living City Initiative; whether the final designation differed from the area proposed by Louth County Council; the reasons for each material alteration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64254/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 372, 373, 374, 375 and 376 together.

The Living City Initiative is provided for in Chapter 13 of Part 10 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (TCA). It offers income or corporation tax relief for qualifying expenditure incurred in the refurbishment and conversion of qualifying residential and commercial buildings located within ‘Special Regeneration Areas' (SRAs).

There are four types of relief available under the Living City Initiative:

• owner occupier residential relief,

• rented residential (landlord) relief,

• commercial relief, and

• living over the shop relief.

In 2015, SRAs were designated in the cities of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick and Waterford. On 8 April 2026, further designations were made in respect the five regional centres of Athlone, Drogheda, Dundalk, Letterkenny, and Sligo.

Section 372AAA of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides that a Living City Initiative special regeneration area is an area or areas specified as a special regeneration area by order of the Minister for Finance.

In relation each designation of an SRA, the administrative process included the submission of proposed SRAs by the relevant Local Authorities to my Department which have regard to specific criteria. These are that SRAs should be inner city/central town areas where there is above average unemployment, and which demonstrate clear evidence of neglect, dereliction and under-use as follow:

• Inner town or city/central town or city area – not suburbs,

• Area should be largely made up of dwellings built before 1975 and/or commercial premises capable of being partially or fully converted into residential premises,

• Area should be in need of regeneration,

• Should be clear evidence of neglect / dereliction,

• Area should be residential in character,

• Should be clear evidence that dwellings are being under-utilised or inappropriately utilised, for example, commercial premises capable of being partially or fully converted into residential premises,

• Should be clear evidence of above average unemployment in the area, and

• Area should display signs of deprivation (based on Pobal indicators).

Areas which are generally regarded as affluent, have high occupancy rates and which do not require regeneration should not be included in SRAs, The SRAs should not include the following:

• Areas which are generally regarded as affluent,

• Areas which already have high occupancy rates – either residential or commercial,

• Areas which do not require regeneration, and

• Areas which do not display evidence of dereliction or under-use.

The SRAs proposed by each of the relevant Local Authorities were subject to independent review by an expert appointed by my department. The expert assessed the consistency of the proposed maps against the criteria. This review included consideration of flood risks in each of the five SRAs proposed by the four relevant Local Authorities.

In a number of cases, including the proposed SRA maps for Drogheda and one other town, the observations of the expert gave rise to consultations with the relevant Local Authorities, and amendments to the SRA maps as initially proposed by them. These observations related to a number of matters, including flood risk in certain areas (including, in the case of Drogheda, on the banks of the river Boyne).

The response provided by the relevant Local Authorities informed the final report and recommendations of the expert.

The SRAs for the five additional towns (including Drogheda) were designated by me on 8 April 2026 having regard to the advice and recommendations provided by the expert.

In relation to the Deputy's question on "the statutory and administrative mechanism by which the boundary of a special regeneration area under the Living City Initiative may be reviewed, extended or amended; whether Louth County Council may submit a revised proposal for Drogheda", any such process would be the as outlined above.

As with all taxation matters, the LCI is kept under review.