Departmental Schemes

Tuesday, 26 May 2026

Questions (660, 687, 688, 689, 690, 714, 724, 725)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

660. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will extend the above-the-shop grant to micro-businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40304/26]

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Barry Heneghan

Question:

687. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the methodology, cost assumptions and market data used in determining the grant thresholds of €95,000 for one residential unit, €115,000 for two units, and €135,000 for three or more units under the croí cónaithe Vacant Above the Shop Grant; if the adequacy of these thresholds has been reviewed in light of current construction, refurbishment, conservation and fire safety costs, particularly in Dublin city centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39305/26]

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Barry Heneghan

Question:

688. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason commercial properties held through company ownership structures are excluded from eligibility under the croí cónaithe above the shop scheme; if his Department has examined the extent to which this eligibility restriction may affect uptake of the scheme, particularly in Dublin city where many commercial premises are company owned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39306/26]

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Barry Heneghan

Question:

689. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has undertaken a review of the operation, uptake and effectiveness of the croí cónaithe above the shop scheme; if barriers to participation, including ownership structure requirements and refurbishment costs, have been identified as factors affecting application levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39307/26]

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Barry Heneghan

Question:

690. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of enquiries, applications, approvals, refusals and completed projects recorded by each local authority under the croí cónaithe above the shop scheme since its establishment; the total value of grants approved and paid in each case, in tabular form. [39308/26]

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Thomas Gould

Question:

714. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will introduce staged payments for the derelict properties grant. [39875/26]

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Conor Sheehan

Question:

724. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the rationale for restricting the vacant above-the-shop grant and the broader vacant property refurbishment grant to individual applicants only, explicitly excluding registered micro-companies; if he acknowledges that advising property owners to undertake complex and costly corporate restructuring to transfer assets into personal ownership acts as a direct financial and administrative barrier to unlocking town centre accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39961/26]

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Conor Sheehan

Question:

725. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he plans to introduce interim measures, exemptions, or a phased pilot scheme to allow micro-companies to access the vacant above-the-shop grant where planning, funding, and construction readiness are already established; the timeline for reviewing these eligibility criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39962/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

I propose to take Questions Nos. 660, 687, 688, 689, 690, 714, 724 and 725 together.

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, funded under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, has been a key measure in addressing vacancy and dereliction across the country. At end of Quarter 1, 2026 over 17,480 applications had been made to local authorities, with over 13,170 of those applications approved and 5,300 grant paid amounting to almost €285 million of grant funding paid out across the county.

The Grant provides 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 derelict, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000.

Under the new Housing Plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, a commitment was given to provide additional support for the refurbishment and conversion of above the shop vacant space for use as homes. The Government approved the introduction of a Vacant Above the Shop Grant with a package of up to €140,000 to be made available in cases where vacant above the shop space is being converted/refurbished for residential use and the commercial element is remaining. The additional grant amount for these properties recognises the complexities involved in bringing this space into use, for example, creation of separate access and fire separation. The package includes an Expert Advice Grant of up to €5,000. The new Vacant Above the Shop Grant and Expert Advice Grant were launched on 1 April 2026.

As the grant has launched in April, statistics on grant numbers will be collated over the coming weeks and will be included in the Quarter 2 2026 published statistics for the grant which will be available before the end of July 2026.

The grant is currently available to individuals who own or are in the process of purchasing the property. A commitment is given in the Housing Plan to exploring an extension of the Vacant Above the Shop Grant for such properties that are owned by small (micro) companies. This work will be undertaken in the second half of this year.

There are a range of measures in place to address vacancy and support urban regeneration, which can be availed of by companies and undertakings, such as the Repair and Leasing Scheme, the Living City Initiative and planning exemptions for the conversion of certain commercial properties into residential use.

The grant application process involves the local authority receiving and reviewing applications to ensure that the grant conditions are met and arranging for a qualified person to visit the property to check the refurbishment work being applied for and to assess the proposed cost. Following confirmation of a successful application and the works being completed, the local authority will conduct a final property visit to review that the work has been completed in-line with the grant application. Once the local authority is satisfied, they will then pay the grant.

Payment of the grant at the end of the process is to ensure that the applicant has carried out the works applied for and for which the grant is being paid. This is also the case for grants such as the SEAI grants and Housing Adaptation Grants, which are paid when works are completed.

A comprehensive review of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was undertaken in 2024, which considered all aspects of the scheme including the matter of staged payments. The grant scheme will be kept under review and any further recommended changes will be communicated in a timely manner.