As the Taoiseach knows, Clonmel is a significant economic, social and cultural hub with significant employment in industry and services. However, the town centre requires considerable refurbishment having been hit by changing retail trends and the resulting closure of businesses, including long-standing family businesses. Tipperary County Council has a significant town centre upgrading project ready for call 4 of the urban regeneration development fund. Approval for that project is vitally important for the consolidation and future development of the town, particularly as we missed out on the last round of funding. The Clonmel public realm regeneration project is a €21 million project. It is shovel-ready. The part 8 consultation has been completed and the town has an excellent record in the completion of similar-type projects in the past, like the Kickham Plaza and the sports hub, both of which came in on time and under budget. I am asking that capital funding be made available for this project in the call 4 funding.

Sentiment score: 0.27