Minister Mitchell O’Connor welcomes the launch of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme 2017 by Minister Humphreys, Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
13th April 2017
The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD, has today welcomed the launch of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme for 2017 by her colleague, Minister Heather Humphreys, Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. As part of the Action Plan for Rural Development, Towns and villages across the country are set to benefit from €20 million in funding from the 2017, Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
The Town and Village Renewal Scheme is part of the Government’s commitment to ensure that the benefits of economic recovery are felt in every part of the country. As part of that commitment, and as a key support for the retail sector under the Action Plan for Jobs 2017, Minister Mitchell O’Connor will launch the Framework for Town Centre Renewal on Tuesday 25th April 2017.
Minister Mitchell O’Connor said: “As Chairperson of the Retail Consultation Forum, I am looking forward to launching the Framework for Town Centre Renewal on 25th April in Sligo. The Framework for Town Centre Renewal sets out a practical step by step action plan for Stakeholders to work collaboratively to enhance their local town or village. It will be a support document for towns and villages applying for funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.”
This is the second year of the scheme and will see up to 300 towns and villages benefit from funding from the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Proposals for funding will have to support sustainable, economic development in their locality.
Following the announcement of the scheme by her colleague, Minister Mitchell O’Connor said: "Towns and villages are at the heart of our rural communities and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme is designed to help breathe life back into rural towns and villages. This Scheme is an important part in the work to rejuvenate and revitalise rural Ireland. It will help to make Irish towns and villages across the country more attractive places not only to live in but to work in, do business in, invest in and visit. It will support the work of my Department in delivering on the Regional Action Plans for Jobs.”
Through the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the Framework for Town Centre Renewal due to be launched on 25th April, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs are collectively supporting Local Authorities, local businesses and local communities to adopt town centre management best practices and identify projects which will have a positive economic impact on their towns and villages.
