Mayo Minister launches 2025 Town and Village Renewal Scheme

Mayo TD and Minister for Rural and Community Development, Dara Calleary launched the 2025 Town and Village Renewal Scheme which will make funding available to acquire derelict buildings.

The Town and Village Renewal Scheme is designed to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland and to build greater resilience into our town centres through regeneration projects.

The Department of Rural and Community Development say the 2025 scheme will focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction in town centres with funding of up to €500,000 per local authority available for the acquisition of vacant or derelict buildings or lands for town regeneration purposes.

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Funding will also be available for the pre-development costs associated with projects to help communities develop applications for future funding calls. This year’s call for proposals will allow one additional application for one larger scale project (up to €300,000 category) for those local authorities with an inhabited offshore island and/or Gaeltacht areas.

Launching the 2025 Scheme, Minister Calleary said the fund will support projects throughout Ireland with a focus on stimulating town centre economic and social regeneration through sustainable employment creation.

“I’m delighted today to launch the 2025 Town and Village Renewal Scheme which will provide funds to develop projects in every corner of the country,” said Minister Calleary.

“The Town and Village Renewal Scheme continues to have a hugely positive impact in Ireland’s rural towns and villages and this investment will further strengthen this work.

“Rural development continues to be a key priority for the Government and we will continue to support the revitalisation and resilience of rural Ireland, transforming our towns and villages – creating better places to live, work and participate in their local community,” he said.

Three funding streams are available under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme; the Main Scheme, the Project Development Measure and the Building or Land Acquisition Measure.

Projects will align with the objectives of the Government policies of Our Rural Future, Town Centre First and Our Living Islands with a focus on driving town centre regeneration; supporting town or village centre plaza development; development of green spaces or recreational amenities in town or village centres; the enhancement of our streetscapes; supporting town or village centre markets; upgrading or refurbishing community centres; bring vacant and derelict buildings back into use as multi-purpose community spaces; supporting vibrant and sustainable Gaeltacht communities and island communities on Ireland’s inhabited offshore islands.

Minister Calleary continued: “The Project Development Measure has been hugely successful in providing an opportunity to develop a pipeline of significant, well developed projects therefore will be funded under the TVRS again this year.

“In response to the continuing demand to revitalise our towns and villages, the Building or Land Acquisition Measure will provide up to €500,000 per local authority to purchase up to three vacant or derelict buildings or lands for regeneration purposes.

“I am strongly encouraging local authorities to work closely with communities to put forward projects that are ambitious and will make a positive difference.”