Regeneration Projects
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-04
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Dara Calleary (FF), Mayo

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir Gallagher as ucht an t-ábhar seo a ardú inniu. As he is aware, the rural regeneration and development fund is a major capital investment programme. It seeks to support large-scale, ambitious projects that can achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. The focus of the RRDF is on supporting rural towns and villages with a population of fewer than 10,000 people. Since its introduction in 2017, the RRDF has allocated more than €613 million to 273 projects across Ireland, including over €35 million for 13 projects located in County Cavan.
In 2020, following an application by Comhairle Chontae an Chabháin, the council was awarded more than €787,000 in RRDF category 2 funding. This funding facilitated the acquisition of a derelict former Bank of Ireland building on Main Street in Kingscourt. The funding was also used to develop plans for the building's renovation and use as a community and remote working hub. The council subsequently made a category 1 RRDF application for a Kingscourt town centre regeneration scheme. In May 2024, approval was given for RRDF funding of €10.9 million.
The council’s regeneration plans include three main areas of works in Kingscourt. First is the refurbishment of a building on Market Square from its derelict state, which will provide a new public building to serve as a community library and focal point within the town core. Second are public realm enhancement works. This includes a redesigned Market Square and Main Street which aims to bring back its historic function, including the creation of a new civic and events space for the town, situated next to the community library. It will incorporate a main lower-level plaza area with paved patterns, seating, planting, feature walls and seat walls. Third is the refurbishment of the vacant former Bank of Ireland building on Main Street to create a multi-functional remote working hub. This will be for use by local business and will include office space, training facilities and meeting rooms and should act as a catalyst for regenerating neighbouring town centre buildings.
Cavan County Council, as the designated lead body, is responsible for managing, procuring and developing the works. The council is joined by other project partners locally, including Kingscourt Development Association - I join the Senator in acknowledging its work - Cavan local enterprise office, Cavan county local development and Cavan-Monaghan Education and Training Board.
The project is at the detailed design stage and the council advises it has undertaken a project execution plan and a detailed review of all design documentation to ensure compliance with the required standards. In addition, a stakeholder workshop on the community library was held in early January.
A project team was appointed in quarter 4 last year. The council will now progress through the stages of the capital works management framework, including completion of pre-tender cost estimates, the issuing of an invitation to tender for main works and, thereafter, the awarding of contracts. Subject to a satisfactory completion of the pre-tender obligations, the council has confirmed its intention to procure and deliver the project in two main parts under separate contracts running concurrently. The first part relates to the public realm enhancement component of the project. I am advised by the council that this contract is expected to take 12 months to complete. The second part relates to the library creation and remote working hub creation components of the project. I am advised by the council that this contract is expected to take 18 months to complete.
The contractor procurement will be completed through a two-stage restricted procedure for both works contracts. The pre-qualification and suitability tender packs for the first stage of this process are nearing completion. I anticipate that the tender process will commence in the coming weeks. Based on these timeframes, Cavan County Council has provided an indicative date of quarter 1 2028 for completion of the works.

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Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-04/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:35+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-04