Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, has today unveiled the Towns and Cities Regeneration Investment Fund.

This new initiative replaces the former Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) and is specifically designed to provide a more intensive focus on disadvantaged areas while widening eligibility to include smaller towns across Ireland.

A significant shift in the new scheme is the lowering of the population threshold for applicant towns. Previously set at 10,000 residents, the new criteria now includes towns with a population of over 9,000 based on Census 2022 data. This change ensures that communities previously sitting just below the requirement can now access major regeneration support.

To address the growing gap between the nation's most disadvantaged areas and the national average, as identified in the Pobal HP Deprivation Index, Minister Browne has significantly increased the available financial support. While standard projects will continue to receive up to 75% funding, projects located in areas defined as 'Disadvantaged', 'Very Disadvantaged', or 'Extremely Disadvantaged' will now be eligible for up to 90% of overall project costs.

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Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, said: "With a focus on supporting policies such as 'Town Centre First' and City Task Forces, as well as integrated Urban Regeneration, I am launching this week a new Towns and Cities Regeneration Investment Fund which will deliver transformative and impactful projects that will regenerate eligible areas.

"In particular, under this new scheme, I have ensured that the Towns and Cities Regeneration Investment Fund will have an emphasis on targeting areas of disadvantage where regeneration will have a significant effect on the lives of those who live in those areas. This will be a game changer and provide a great opportunity for many towns and communities who may have felt left behind while other areas have prospered."

The fund will offer two distinct categories of support in its first 'Call for Proposals':

• Category 1A (Plan and Project Pipeline Development): This focuses on helping local authorities create a pipeline of future projects, including masterplans and initial design works. Funding is capped at €150,000 per proposal.

• Category 1B (Project Delivery): This is targeted at the construction of capital works that are already sufficiently advanced in design or planning. Funding is capped at €7.5m per proposal, rising to €9m for projects in deprived areas eligible for the 90% rate.

The formal call for applications and final details of the initial funding round will be issued later this week. The closing date for all applications under the new scheme is 1 May 2026.