Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has poured cold water on Dundalk’s hopes of being included in the Living City Initiative.
A motion was put forward by local councillor Mark Dearey at the Dundalk Municipal District Committee’s annual general meeting earlier this month seeking to have the initiative – which focuses on the regeneration of retail and commercial districts in the historic centres of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick and Waterford – brought to the town.
It had been hoped the scheme, which offers tax relief on the refurbishment or conversion of old buildings, would encourage more people to take up residence in the town centre on streets like Clanbrassil Street.
However, when local TD Fergus O’Dowd asked Minister Noonan whether he would extend the list of eligible towns to include Dundalk and Drogheda, his appeals fell on deaf ears.
In his response, Minister Noonan said: “The Living City Initiative, which was enacted in the Finance Act 2013 and commenced on 5th May 2015, has been extended beyond the original pilot cities of Limerick and Waterford, to include the cities of Dublin, Cork, Galway and Kilkenny as well.
“In line with my Department’s commitment to evidence based policy-making, the inclusion of these additional four cities was as a result of a comprehensive, independent ex ante cost benefit analysis.
“This Initiative is targeting particular areas of these six cities which are most in need of regeneration. I do not currently intend to extend the Initiative further than the six cities. However, my Department will closely monitor the progress of the Initiative in the six cities, and will keep the matter of potentially extending the relief further under review.
“It is important to note that I do not see this as a wide-spread Initiative, as it is targeted at those areas in the six cities which are most in need of attention.”
