Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 March 2025
456. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on the vacant property refurbishment grant; if he will make provision for successful applicants who exceed the time limit for the work to be completed through no fault of their own, for example, the bankruptcy of the contracted construction company. [13668/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraPathway 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.
The grant 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.
In order to support the timely delivery of properties back into use, from May 2023, once a Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant application receives approval, applicants must complete works applied for within a period of 13 months. In exceptional circumstances, where an applicant is experiencing particular issues and cannot complete the works applied for under the grant within the 13 month period, the local authority may consider and grant an extension of the approval period at their discretion. My Department issued a circular to all local authorities in October 2023 in this regard.
Take-up of the Grant has been significant since it was launched and by the end of December 2024 over 11,300 grant applications were received with over 7,700 approved. Payment of grants by local authorities commenced at the end of 2023 as refurbishment works started to be completed and this has steadily increased with 1,449 grants paid by Q4 2024. I expect this to significantly increase over 2025 as more refurbishment works are completed.
My Department publishes data on applications for the Grant on its website on a quarterly basis, which includes breakdowns by local authority. The link to the most recent grant statistics is provided here: gov.ie - Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Statistics - October to December 2024.
