€7.5 million has been allocated between Carlow and Kilkenny County Councils under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF).
The third round of URDF was announced in January last year and was specifically targeted at addressing long term vacancy and dereliction across cities and towns and at the provision of residential accommodation.
€1.5 million will help Carlow with 10 vacant and derelict, residential and commercial properties they’ve identified which have the potential to provide 49 homes.
While in Kilkenny 74 homes could be created with a €6 million spend on 22 similar buildings.
Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Malcolm Noonan said; “This Government have placed a huge emphasis on the regeneration and rejuvenation of towns all across the country and as I travel around both Kilkenny and Ireland it’s heartening to see the impact of the various initiatives which are underway to transform towns and cities.”
“The URDF has been a real game-changer for our towns and cities, breathing new life into towns across making them even better places to work in, to live in and to visit. Urban regeneration isn’t a luxury, but a real necessity for the beating heart of our urban centres and I’m delighted to see it in action across so many counties.
“The most sustainable buildings we have are the ones which already exist and Call 3 under the URDF is ensuring we put them to their best use. The URDF is evidence of this Government’s commitment to improving quality of life in urban centres, making them more accessible, inclusive and liveable for all.”
Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien has visited both counties in the past fortnight, Kilkenny earlier this week and Carlow last week.
