714. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht which cities have Town Regeneration Officers; and the reason Cork City does not have such a role. [67117/26]

The Town Centre First (TCF) Policy, published in February 2022, is a cross-Government initiative that sets out a framework to facilitate and resource the regeneration of Irish towns to ensure that they are vibrant, viable and attractive places to live, work, invest in and visit.  Given the TCF Policy is jointly managed with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH), the policy also applies to communities across larger and more urban towns.

Within the remit of my department, funds have been provided to support the establishment of Town Teams and the development of Town Centre First Plans within identified rural towns and villages outside of city areas.  This approach has also seen my department provide funding support to 26 local authorities with large rural areas to employ ‘Town Regeneration Officers’ (TROs).  In those local authorities, details of which are attached, TROs act as a key link between the local authority and the rural town/village and their communities.  They also provide information and assistance to enable access to various funding streams to support TCF plan implementation at a local level.

In addition to the above supports, my department makes available a range of funding schemes intended to support the delivery of TCF objectives including the Rural Regeneration Development Fund and Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS).  I have recently announced the opening of a new round of funding under the 2026 TVRS Main Scheme and Project Development Measure which is also available in urban areas. The closing date for the submission of applications is 22 January 2027.  Full details of the scheme can be found on Gov.ie.

Specific funding schemes are available to local authorities through the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to support larger towns and cities, including Cork City. This includes for example the ‘Towns and Cities Regeneration Investment Fund’, the ‘Thrive’ Scheme to revitalise our heritage buildings as well as a range of supports to combat vacancy and dereliction in our cities.

My department remains committed to the success of the TCF policy and will continue to work closely with local authorities and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to work on the next phase of implementation, in order to deliver on our goal of revitalising rural Ireland.

Rural Funding