Victor Boyhan: Demands Progress on Dundrum Civic Hub Funding

First of all I want to welcome the Minister and thank him for coming to the House to deal with this commencement matter which relates to Dundrum Centre, town centre rather than the commercial shopping centre that many people know Dundrum for. I'm talking about the fabric, the community, the existing town that is Dundrum. For those who don't know, Dundrum is the second major town centre within the local authority administrative area of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown. So it is a major town centre zoning and sometimes people forget about that. Dun Laoghaire is divided of course in terms of a motorway and these are two very significant town centres but the pace of change and certainly community and civic space and facilities is at a far slower rate in that side of the county and yet they are very big rate payers. So why I'm asking here Minister, I'm asking for an update on the issue of when it's expected that the Urban Regeneration Development Fund for Dundrum will be approved and to indicate, I think more importantly that's the bit I really want to find out more about, is to indicate the level of engagement with the Executive of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. I am aware of course that the Town and City Regeneration Fund has now replaced the URDF so things are moving and there is currently an application process and I understand the 1st of May is roughly when that's going to close. So Dun Laoghaire as I say is the second major town centre in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown. It has a particularly pressing need for a civic centre incorporating a new modern library. The case for capital funding to be made available for building this major piece of social infrastructure for Dundrum in South County Dublin in the upcoming round of the funding that is due to come about with the closing in May as I've already said. Dundrum is a densely populated at the heart of a large and fast growing population with a very significant amount of new homes in terms of houses, apartments, very high density. So the demand is really there for good quality public realm and civic cultural and heritage space and the potential that that brings. Significant housing developments have been going on there. Much has been led by the or will be led by the Land Development Agency and we know of course they have the entire control of the former central mental hospital site with a master plan for a very significant amount of development which is in line with government policy and therefore you would imagine will have the full support and the backing of government. Where we have higher densities we've got to look imaginatively and fund public realm, public civic, civil realm and civic space which is really important. So the present Carnegie library that's in in the middle of the town is restricted in terms of space and structure and accessibility and capability for providing the resource that is necessary for this particular area. I think I want to stress Minister that it has the overall support of the TDs representing that constituency including your own Minister Neil Richmond has been particularly vocal and to the fore as have the independent and all councillors there but I particularly like to acknowledge the work of independent councillor Ann Colgan who's been instrumental at the very heart of the imagined Dundrum concept. But it is clear to say that all parties and none be it on the council and in the Oireachtas are working very closely and collaboratively to bring about this investment. So there is a need and a rationale for this investment. It needs to be put together, it needs to be driven and therefore the case I'm really making is for support, an indication of support but also the engagement with the necessary all stakeholders in relation to the local authority. I look forward to your response Minister. Thanks Minister, just before you start could I just welcome our visitors to Leinster House. I hope you're enjoying it, it's a very interesting place and hopefully you'll be back someday. Some of them don't look like their homework age, I'm probably being ageist there am I now but if you do have homework you're off it for the day. I'd like to thank Senator Boyan for raising this important matter which I'm taking on behalf of James Brown TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Minister James Brown TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage recently announced a new town's city regeneration investment fund which you'll be able to see here in a moment. I'd like to thank Senator Boyan for raising this important matter which I'm taking on behalf of recently announced a new town's city regeneration investment fund which you've alluded to Senator Boyan. While replacing the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF fund, existing funding for URDF projects already approved will be incorporated into it. With a focus on supporting policies such as town centre first and city task force as well as integrated urban regeneration, the new fund will continue to deliver projects that are transformative and impactful in nature and contribute to the wider regeneration of the five cities and eligible towns and just as you say you made reference to the closing date for under the current call under the town centre first city task forces, sorry the new fund, the deadline date is the 1st of May of this year and Minister Brown and the department would certainly welcome a suitable application from Donald Learie-Rathdown in respect to this. Can I just maybe recap on URDF funding for Donald Learie-Rathdown county council projects. So under call one the new fund will contribute, under call one of the URDF, Donald Learie-Rathdown county council received approval for four projects with a funding commitment 22.6 million. One of these projects was the development of an action plan for Dundrum community cultural and civic hub which was published by Donald Learie-Rathdown county council in May 2020. Under call two a further 4.3 million of support for Dundrum community cultural and civic hub was made available. A total funding approved under the URDF program to date to Donald Learie-Rathdown county council comes to 76.1 million. Under URDF call two the Dundrum project given the funding allocation available Donald Learie-Rathdown county council has chosen to focus on the public realm elements of the project following a number of engagements with the project team in Donald Learie-Rathdown county council by the partners. It has recently submitted a preliminary business case for the Dundrum interchange and civic plaza project. The preliminary business case is currently being reviewed in line with the requirements of the infrastructure guidelines for approved gate 1ag approval in principle. This review is expected to take a few more weeks to complete and subject to any issues arising once again subject to any issues arising once again this approval will allow Donald Learie-Rathdown county council to progress with the detailed design planning and procurement process. Thereafter and while Donald Learie-Rathdown county council will be required to submit an updated cost plan at pre-tender stage the project is expected to proceed directly to tender. A further detailed submission will be required at final business case stage once the tender process is near its completion and my department will continue to work closely with Donald Learie-Rathdown county council on this project and all other projects in its current URDF program. As with all local authorities relevant officials meet at least three times per year with Donald Learie-Rathdown county council and more often where necessary however the advancement of relevant projects to the various stages of planning development completion as well as the subject matter of funding applications is in the first instance a matter of Donald Learie-Rathdown county council. Thank you. Thank you Minister I suppose in essence really I think it's obvious to all that this funding needs to come forward and just in summary the strong rationale for this investment has been validated in the cultural community and civic action plan for Dundrum by the provision as you've said already in your response four million euros from an earlier URDF funding so basically that there's been a substantial amount of money put into this project this concept and we need to get it from the concept up we couldn't surely turn our back on that sort of investment and move away so look I'm confident that the TDs and ministers in that constituency of all parties and none are fully behind it the local authority all members aren't and I want to acknowledge of course Frank Curran the chief executive of Donald Learie-Rathdown county council they are all committed there is no reason why it shouldn't happen and it makes sense and it's in line with government policy higher densities tighter knit communities less open space less there was a public private open space as opposed to public open space and high density necessitates uh you know good strong cultural educational uh play and sports and recreation facilities and of course the the cultural aspect is very important in this particular project so I wish it well I want to thank you for your detailed and informative response and I'll share it with the elected members of the council this afternoon thank you once again I would like to thank Senator Boyle for raising this important matter which I'm taking behalf of my colleague James Brown TD minister for housing local government heritage and it gives me the opportunity to reiterate the support my department has has been pleased to be able to provide for this critically important regeneration project for regeneration in Dornier-Rathdown county council in general in that respect we're also informed as Senator Boyan that funding support to Dornier-Rathdown has also included 43.2 million support for public access sports in Cherrywood furthermore Minister Brown and his department will welcome a suitable application from Dornier-Rathdown county council funding under the new fund which is currently open for such applications and as you've all referenced with a closing date for submissions of the 1st of May of 2026 this year in the meantime we look forward to seeing the works progress at Dundrum along with the other key URDF projects in Dornier-Rathdown county council thank you