Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 April 2021
779. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the plans in place to encourage town living through the identification of vacant housing, buildings and heritage buildings in towns and villages in order to conserve existing buildings and to incentivise persons to live in built-up areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19913/21]
View answerThe primary benefit of bringing vacant buildings back in to use is the increased supply of quality and sustainable housing for the individuals and families. Revitalising our main streets through well designed refurbishment of residential units, particularly above shops, could help to rejuvenate rural areas, smaller town centres and city streets as well as producing more homes. The Government is committed to bringing vacant and partially vacant properties back into use.
There are a number of supports available to owners to bring vacant housing stock back into use including:
- The Repair and Leasing Scheme, this is available to assist private property owners, local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies in utilising existing vacant housing stock throughout the country. The scheme is targeted at owners of vacant properties who cannot afford or access the funding needed to bring their properties up to the required standard for rental property. If eligible for the scheme, the property owner can avail of a loan of up to €60,000 from the local authority to carry out the refurbishment of property.
- The Buy and Renew initiative particularly focuses on older vacant homes to help tackle the problem of dereliction and improve the appearance of the community with the added value of delivery social housing units. It provides the option for suitable properties to be purchased rather than leased.
In December 2018, my Department published the Bringing Back Homes Manual for the Reuse of Existing Buildings.
The Bringing Back Homes manual is aimed at property owners, members of the public, local authorities and stakeholders in the construction industry who are interested in developing vacant buildings. It provides clear and detailed guidance on current policy and regulatory requirements that apply to this form of development.
The Bringing Back Homes manual is available to download at:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/68a5b-bringing-back-homes-manual-for-the-reuse-of-existing-buildings
The manual also supports the work of the vacant homes offices in local authorities, which create a central point of contact for those interested in developing existing buildings. These offices are a useful resource to assist developers and owners in clarifying the regulatory requirements that exist and how they apply to development, thus reducing uncertainty and complexity but maintaining safe, sustainable and quality standards for homes.
My Department is working closely with Local Authorities to encourage property owners to avail of the Buy and Renew Scheme and the Repair and Lease Scheme to combat vacancy and dereliction and to accelerate, where possible, bringing units back into use for residential purposes. This focus on greater use of these schemes also aligns with the ambition under Action 58 of “Our Rural Future – Rural Development Plan 2021 to 2025.
