Five urban centres will receive up to €7 million each from THRIVE, the Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme, under Ireland's two ERDF Regional Programmes.

THRIVE, developed by the Southern Regional Assembly and the Northern & Western Regional Assembly in collaboration with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, provides funding for the renovation, restoration and reuse of publicly owned vacant and derelict heritage buildings to transform urban centres.

Local authorities, through citizen and community engagement, identified the best uses for these buildings, which include theatres, cultural and community hubs, a county archive, a market plaza, a community arts centre and a children's visitor attraction.

Funding has been awarded to the following urban centres:

• €7.0 million Gorey, County Wexford

• €7.0 million Waterford City

• €7.0 million Mallow, County Cork

• €7.0 million Navan, County Meath

• €3.8 million Galway City

Minister of State for Local Government and Planning at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Alan Dillon TD said: "This first announcement of capital works funding under ERDF THRIVE will facilitate the conservation, refurbishment and return to use of some prominent heritage buildings that are currently in vacant or derelict condition. These projects will breathe new life into town centres in keeping with the Town Centre First approach and create new community and cultural facilities for generations to come. I also look forward to the next tranche of funding and the benefits this exciting scheme will have in driving regeneration in towns across the country in the years ahead."

Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Malcolm Noonan commented: "This funding will support local authorities in not only preserving and protecting these valuable historic buildings, but also ensuring their long-term sustainable re-use as key cultural and heritage assets at the heart of their communities. These innovative adaptive re-use projects have huge potential to drive town centre revitalisation and have been developed in collaboration with local citizens and stakeholders in line with New European Bauhaus principles and Town Centre First policy. I also look forward to the next tranche of funding that will support more THRIVE heritage led regeneration projects across the country."

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Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O'Brien TD said: "A significant €32M is being allocated today across the five urban centres so that publicly owned vacant and derelict heritage buildings can be restored and renovated. Having visited many of these towns and seen the buildings earmarked for rejuvenation I can safely say this funding will make a massive difference. I want to commend the communities and indeed every tier of government involved, from a European, Regional and Local level, in bringing these projects to fruition. The THRIVE fund is empowering communities to shape the future of their urban centres by identifying opportunities which will help ensure their long-term vitality. I very much look forward to seeing the substantial regeneration which will arise out of this funding and which will strengthen the economic, social, and cultural vibrancy of towns throughout Ireland."

David Kelly, Director of the Southern Regional Assembly, stated: "This significant Government and ERDF investment in 5 urban centres, through the Regional Programmes will have a transformative effect by breathing new life into these historic buildings and enhancing the social and cultural vibrancy of the area. The projects will act as a significant catalyst for revitalising urban centres and provide visible benefits of the support provided by the EU for our regions and people."

Denis Kelly, Director of the Northern and Western Regional Assembly said: "Vacancy and Dereliction is a significant challenge across our urban centres and has contributed to the decline of our Towns, Villages and Cities. The THRIVE scheme is an example of an innovative funding mechanism to deliver 100% funding to Local Authorities that will support the renewal of our urban centres and reinforce the positive image of them as desirable places to live, work, and visit. These projects will not only bring vacant and derelict heritage buildings back to life but will serve as a catalyst for the regeneration of our Town centres – a key policy of the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies adopted by the Regional Assemblies."

Local authorities receiving funding will integrate the values and working principles of the New European Bauhaus—an initiative of the European Union—into their projects to ensure sustainability, visual appeal, inclusivity and accessibility.

The Southern Regional Assembly and the Northern & Western Regional Assembly will open a second and final call under THRIVE Strand 2 in early 2025, offering capital funding for the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings owned by local authorities.

THRIVE is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union under the Southern, Eastern and Midland Regional Programme 2021-2027 and the Northern and Western Regional Programme 2021-2027.