The Chamber is pleased to note that Deputy Fitzpatrick has agreed to support the call the Chamber has been making since 2000 that Dundalk be classified within the Living City Initiative*.
The Town Centre has declined over the years and previous schemes which expired in 2006 were hampered by the border and the fact that the Belfast agreement had only been signed in 2003.
While this news is to be welcomed as it will support property owners to redevelop the town centre we would like to see the specific proposals we made in the Brexit context
- The appointment of a Minister to coordinate matters
- Funding from Central Government to reduce rates for those operating a business, but specifically retail
- Greater access to medium term funding for SME whether exporting or not
If the Government responds to Deputy Fitzpatrick’s call it is a welcome first step but more will be required.
* The Living City Initiative is a scheme of property tax incentives designed to regenerate both historic buildings and other buildings in specified cities. The scheme (currently) applies to certain “special regeneration areas” (SRAs) in the centres of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford and Kilkenny. These areas have been designated for the purposes of the scheme by Order of the Minister for Finance. The maps and boundaries of these SRAs can be found on the websites of the respective local authorities.
