Senator Aisling Dolan - Strong Voice, New Vision.

Plan to make building own home easier will help grow rural towns and villages

January 30, 2020

Plan to make building own home easier will help grow rural towns and villages

Fine Gael has ambitious plans for rural Ireland. We will give families and individuals wishing to live in smaller towns and villages the opportunity to build their own homes, Fine Gael election candidate for Roscommon – Galway, Cllr Aisling Dolan has said.

 

Cllr. Dolan said:

 

“Fine Gael is committed to rural Ireland. In government, we created a ministry for rural and community development, we have started rolling out high speed broadband and we put in place a €1bn fund for rural Ireland. But, we know it’s not enough.

 

 

“We have a plan to grow the population of our smaller towns and villages in Galway and Roscommon. Our Rural Serviced Sites scheme will help keep people in rural Ireland and rejuvenate our smaller towns and villages. It will provide a real alternative for people hoping to build a home and raise a family in rural Ireland, or for those looking to downsize to a smaller property.

 

“Under the Rural Serviced Sites scheme, local authorities such as Roscommon and Galway County Councils will sell sites at cost price to people wishing to build their own home. Sites will be serviced with water and electricity, helping to reduce the cost of building a home. Our scheme will encourage families and individuals to live close to schools, shops, pubs, sports clubs and local amenities, improving quality of life and helping local businesses.”

 

The Rural Serviced Sites scheme is aimed at the more than 700 towns and villages with populations of less than 2,000 people, and will help deliver the ambition set out in Project Ireland 2040 to boost population growth outside our main cities. It will expand on the Cluster Housing scheme developed by Tipperary County Council.

 

“Fine Gael is committed to providing opportunities for everyone living in rural Ireland, and helping smaller towns and villages thrive.

 

“This innovative scheme will offer hundreds of families the opportunity to join existing communities and help grow them into the future. It will also bolster the case for retaining and boosting community services including post offices, shops, sports clubs, health centres and provision of public transport,” Cllr. Dolan, added.