Chambers Ireland welcomes RRDF urban activation projects

Chambers Ireland, the voice of business throughout Ireland, welcomes today’s announcement of additional funding for the improvement of town centres by Minister Heather Humphreys. Projects such as these have a crucial part to play in making our urban spaces livable again.

The regional towns that are the focus of the “Rural Regeneration Development Fund” (RRDF) are critical to their local economies. Bringing life back to these neglected towns is a fundamental element of the National Development Plan.

Integrated into a coherent plan for the individual towns, projects like those announced today will contribute to making our urban areas, and particularly those in the regions, great places to live and work.

Speaking after the announcement today (6 January 2022) Chambers Ireland Chief Executive, Ian Talbot said,

“Projects like the Dungarvan Digital Transformation Hub are exactly the kind of action that the government should be supporting in these towns. The ideal would be to have the workers in hubs like this making lives for themselves in those towns where they can live within walking distance of the hub.

“Public realm works, like the town square project in Oldcastle, are also commendable because they will allow the core purpose of these market towns to be restored. Meanwhile reactivating neglected buildings that are in state hands, such as the courthouse in Borris-in-Ossory, is a vital programme of activity that needs to be rapidly accelerated. Long vacant buildings are a blight upon our towns. For every day that they lie idle, they damage our communities and our local economies.”

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact Shane Conneely, Director of Policy and Communication at Chambers Ireland on 086 324 4940.

About Chambers Ireland:

Chambers Ireland is the voice of business throughout Ireland, with 40 member chambers across every major city, town and region of the island. Aligning our strategic priorities with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, our aim is to make places better to live, work and do business.