The URDF aims to to rejuvenate significant but underused areas in Ireland's large cities and towns. It forms part of Project Ireland 2040 along with four other funds.
Approximately €2 billion has been allocated to the URDF up to 2027, with €550 million available for between now and 2022.
This is just the first round of funding with further rounds following in 2019, right up to 2027. Almost 200 applications were submitted to the Department since it launched its call for applications in July.
An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar TD and the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy TD, announced the successful applicants yesterday, 26 November, in the Charleville Mall Library, Dublin 1.
An Taoiseach said: "The Urban Fund is aimed at all of our cities and towns with a population of more than 10,000. It's an investment of €2bn over the next 10 years aimed at unlocking the potential undeveloped sites in our towns and cities. We want them to have vibrant centres and to grow up rather than out.
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"We want smart, compact, urban growth. We want to make sure we have more people living in our city centres and close to the centre of large towns, making it easier to walk to work, cutting commuting times and distances, making better use of existing infrastructure while also benefitting the environment. The scale of funding available under this fund means the successful projects will have a tangible and positive impact on the daily lives of people living in our large towns and cities. We have never planned our towns and cities in this way before. We're announcing €100m in projects today and I look forward to seeing construction starting in the new year."
Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy TD added: "I'd like to extend my congratulations to successful applicants and wish to thank all those who submitted an application. I am hugely impressed by the enthusiasm and creativity demonstrated by all those involved throughout this process and am delighted to allocate €100 million in funding for 2019 to some very worthwhile projects. We will of course continue to work with those that wish to develop projects into the future and will enable a continual dialogue on this to ensure a pro-active delivery of sustainable projects.
"A key feature of this Fund is continued collaboration, whether between Government Agencies, local authorities, communities and other stakeholders. I wish successful applicants all the best with their proposals and I look forward to seeing the lasting impacts of these in the years to come."
A full list of successful applications is available at www.housing.gov.ie.
(CM/MH)
