Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 April 2025
1148. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the forms of proof of ownership, apart from the deeds of a house, that are acceptable for accessing the derelict home grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18535/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra1159. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant and derelict property grant applications in County Kerry, that are currently being processed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18676/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra1160. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant and derelict property grant applications in County Kerry, that have been refused since the scheme was first introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18677/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra1161. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant and derelict property grant applications in County Kerry, that have been approved since the scheme was first introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18678/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra1162. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant and derelict property grant applications in County Kerry that have been applied for since the scheme was first introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18679/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra1163. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant and derelict property grant applications in County Kerry that have been applied for to date, approved, refused or are currently being processed since the scheme was first introduced, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18680/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra1228. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if an extension of time will be provided to the derelict/vacant property grants due to the delay of ESB connections to properties following the aftermath of storm Éowyn as ESB crews were engaged in major repair works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19500/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra1236. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage as stated in the Programme for Government, when he intends creating an ‘above-the-shop’ living refurbishment grant by topping up the vacant and derelict refurbishment grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19690/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra1263. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the grant schemes supporting the refurbishment of vacant and derelict buildings in towns and villages have been successful in their aims; if any fine tuning of the schemes is envisaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19963/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1148, 1159, 1160, 1161, 1162, 1163, 1228, 1236 and 1263 together.
Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock.
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant introduced in July 2022, provides a grant of up to €50,000 for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent. A top-up grant of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed to be derelict, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000. In order to qualify for the grant, the property must be vacant for 2 years or more at the time of application
Proof of ownership is required to support the grant application. Where the applicant(s) does not yet own the property, a local authority may give approval in principle to the grant application where the applicant(s) is able to provide evidence of active negotiations to purchase a property i.e. confirmation of engagement from the estate agent or owner of the property. Examples of proof that may be submitted include, Title deed or similar legal instrument proving ownership of the property; evidence of payment of Local Property Tax (LPT); and a mortgage statement dated within the last 12 months.
The owner must be an individual who owns the dwelling (whether jointly or not) and the local authority must satisfy itself as to the ownership prior to approval of the grant.
Once a grant application receives approval, applicants have a period of 13 months to complete the approved works. However, where an applicant is experiencing particular issues and cannot complete the works approved under the grant within this 13-month period, the local authority may consider and grant an extension of the approval period at their discretion on a case by case basis. My Department issued a Circular to all local authorities in October 2023 in this regard, with a further communication issued in October 2024. Where an applicant is experiencing difficulty in complying with the timeline or anticipates doing so, it is recommended that they make direct contact with the Vacant Homes Officer in their relevant local authority.
The grant is currently available for the conversion of former commercial or public use buildings as well as "Above the Shop" type conversions, and the new Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce a "Living Above the Shop" top up grant which is currently being progressed.
The level of interest in and take-up of the Grant has been significant since it was launched and by the end of March 2025 over 12,400 grant applications were received with over 8,600 approved and over 2,000 grants paid at at the end of Q1 2025.
My Department publishes data on number of applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant on its website on a quarterly basis. The Q1 2025 statistics were published on Monday, 28 April and can be accessed at the following link: gov.ie - Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant statistics (www.gov.ie)
The Grant is making a real impact in addressing vacancy in areas of our cities, and in towns and villages and rural areas across the country and is making the purchase and refurbishment of these properties a more affordable option for those seeking to purchase their own home. Between the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and the SEAI grants, there is up to €100,000 now available to help people bring a vacant home back into use.
