Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 December 2023
453. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications made for the vacant property refurbishment grants in each county in each month since July 2022; the number of drawdowns for the same grant in each county in the same period; and the average value claimed overall in each county. [55322/23]
View answerPathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock.
In July 2022 the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was launched to support bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. From 1 May 2023, a grant of up to a maximum of €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent, including the conversion of a property which has not been used as residential heretofore, subject to appropriate planning permission being in place.Where the refurbishment costs are expected to exceed the standard grant of up to €50,000, a maximum top-up grant amount of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed by the applicant to be derelict or where the property is already on the local authority’s Derelict Sites Register, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000. To date the total value of grant payments that have been issued by local authorities to persons who have completed works is €3,406,178.
My Department publishes data on applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant on its website on a quarterly basis, which can be accessed at the following link: Vacancy grant statistics
