Special Regeneration Areas to be identified in Dundalk and Drogheda

Louth TD Paula Butterly has said that significant progress has been made toward enabling the Living Cities Initiative to begin operating in the five newly included towns, including Dundalk and Drogheda. A key requirement for implementation, Deputy Butterly said, is the identification and designation of Special Regeneration Areas (SRAs) within each town.

Local Authorities for all five towns have now submitted draft SRA maps to the Department. Deputy Butterly told the Dundalk Democrat that this marks an important milestone in advancing the initiative, and ensuring that regeneration efforts are targeted where they can have the greatest impact.

Deputy Butterly said: “An independent expert has been appointed to carry out a detailed review of the draft maps. This review is currently underway and is focused on ensuring that each proposed SRA aligns fully with the established criteria for Special Regeneration Areas. The expert assessment will help ensure consistency, transparency, and a strong evidence base for the final designations”.

Upon the satisfactory conclusion of the review, it will fall to the Minister for Finance, to designate the Special Regeneration Areas. “I anticipate that the areas will be designated by the end of quarter one,” said the Fine Gael TD.

"Following the designation of the new Special Regeneration Areas, the relevant Local Authorities will be in a position to implement the scheme in each of the five towns.

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"The exact timing of that implementation process, following the designation of the Special Regeneration Areas, is a matter for each of the Local Authorities themselves, but I expect that applications in respect of all of the new Special Regeneration Areas will be open by June at the latest."

Deputy Paula Butterly welcomed the progress, noting that communities in the newly included towns have been waiting for this step.

She said that she is “very pleased to see the draft SRA maps now submitted and the independent review underway, as this is essential to moving the initiative forward.” She added that she will continue to follow developments closely to ensure momentum is maintained.