486. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if the streetscape enhancement grant will reopen again for 2027. [74952/26]

The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) is part of a range of measures under my Department’s Rural Development Investment Programme to support the revitalisation of rural 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.

Since 2016, over €217 million has been approved for almost 2,000 projects across the country, of this over €11.3 million has been awarded to County Cork for 104 projects.

A Streetscape Enhancement Measure was made available under TVRS in 2021 and 2022, supporting improvements to the visual appearance of our town and villages through activities such as painting (including murals), signage replacement, shopfront improvement, lighting, and canopies. A total of almost €553,000 was allocated to County Cork under this Measure over the two years.

The Streetscape Enhancement Measure has not been offered as a standalone Measure since 2022, although the TVRS Main Scheme does continue to support projects that enhance our streetscapes. Under the 2025 TVRS Main Scheme funding of over €24.3 million was announced for 77 successful projects and this included projects to enhance streetscapes.

The 2026 TVRS Call for Proposals opened in September 2026 and the closing date for the submission of applications is 22 January 2027.  Details of the 2026 scheme have been issued to all local authorities, and it will again continue to support projects that enhance streetscapes and contribute to the regeneration of towns and villages.