Written Answers Nos. 203-217
203. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps his Department is taking to deliver the extra funding identified by local authorities, his Department and Uisce Éireann, necessary to deliver the measure A8 rural water programme; when that funding will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66327/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraGovernment has recently approved revised funding for the Measure A8 Demonstration Projects.
Under this decision, local authorities will continue to contribute co-funding based on the original project costs, while my Department will fund the additional amounts required to meet the revised increased costs.
This means that local authorities co-funding requirement for the projects remain unchanged, with the higher costs being met by my Department. The projects will continue to be delivered by the local authorities in consultation with Uisce Éireann, which will take ownership and responsibility for the operation of the completed infrastructure
204. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that homeowners who have applied for the defective concrete blocks grant scheme are increasingly being directed to demolish the outer and inner leaf walls of their dwellings whilst simultaneously retaining the entire roof structure; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that few engineers and building contractors are willing to professionally undertake or oversee this type of work; the way in which he proposes to address the scheme to factor for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66412/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) was commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the current grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023.
There are five remedial options available under the Grant Scheme.
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Remedial Option |
Remedial Works Description |
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Remedial Option |
Remedial Works Description |
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Option 1 |
Demolition of the entire relevant dwelling and reconstruction of the dwelling on the exact position on the land on which the relevant dwelling was situated before it was demolished. |
|
Option 2 |
Demolish and rebuild external walls (both outer and inner leafs) down to foundation on a phased basis and re-render. |
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Option 3 |
Demolish and rebuild external walls (both outer and internal leafs) down to top of rising wall on a phased basis and re-render. |
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Option 4 |
Demolish and rebuild external walls (outer leaf only) down to top of rising wall on a phased basis and re-render. |
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Option 5 |
Demolish and rebuild outer leaf of affected walls only and re-render. |
The Housing Agency acts as agent on behalf of the local authorities under the grant scheme. Once a home has met the damage threshold for entry to the scheme, the Housing Agency engages its Framework of Chartered Engineers to undertake the assessment, survey, sampling, testing and categorisation of the dwelling on a priority basis in accordance with the national standard I.S. 465:2018 and thereafter determine the appropriate remediation option and grant amount in accordance with the provision of the Act.
Homeowners should engage a competent building professional to design the remediation works approved or being carried out and prepare a remedial works plan in that regard. The homeowner will be required to retain the services of their competent building professional throughout the project.
205. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review planning regulations in relation to the provision of baby changing facilities in disabled toilets in commercial and privately owned buildings such as hotels and restaurants, which may prevent a disabled person from accessing the toilet when they need to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66413/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister with responsibility for Planning, I have no statutory planning function with regard to the provision of sanitary facilities, and there are no planning regulations with regard to baby changing facilities.
The building regulations set out minimum standards for the design and construction of buildings and works to ensure the health and safety of people in and around buildings. The minimum performance requirements that a building must achieve are set out in the second schedule to the building regulations. These requirements are set out in 12 parts (classified as Parts A to M).
The building regulations apply to the construction of all new buildings (including houses), extensions to existing buildings as well as for material alterations and certain material changes of use to existing buildings. The related Technical Guidance Documents (Parts A - M respectively) provide technical guidance on how to comply with the regulations in practical terms.
Where works are carried out in accordance with the relevant technical guidance, such works are considered to be, prima facie, in compliance with the relevant regulation(s).
Part M (Access and Use) aims to foster an inclusive approach to the design and construction of the built environment. The requirements of Part M underpin the principle of Universal Design. Technical Guidance Document M (TGD M), sets out guidance on the minimum level of provision to meet requirements of Part M, including guidance on accessible sanitary facilities.
However, those involved in the design and construction of buildings should also have regard to the design philosophy of Universal Design and consider making additional provisions where practicable and appropriate. For this purpose, a list of useful references, advocating greater accessibility, is given at the end of TGD M.
Chapter 5 of the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design’s publication ‘Building for Everyone: A Universal Design Approach’ provides guidance with regard to baby-changing facilities and their locations.
206. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of new homes completed in Kildare north in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66482/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIncreasing the supply of new homes is critical to alleviating pressures in the housing market – in this regard, supply has increased significantly over the last five years, with more than 157,500 new homes delivered since the beginning of 2020.
Indeed, more than 92,000 new homes were completed in 2022, 2023 and 2024 combined, exceeding the Housing for All target for the period by around 5,200 homes alongside significant potential currently in the delivery pipeline.
New dwelling completions data, disaggregated by Local Authority and by Local Electoral Area, are published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on a quarterly basis and are available on its website at: https://data.cso.ie/table/NDQ05 (LA) and https://data.cso.ie/table/NDQ09 (LEA).
CSO data show some 1,322 new homes completed in Kildare in the first three quarters of this year, up 37% year-on-year.
The CSO also disaggregates the data at Local Electoral Area level at the above link. In terms of North Kildare, the electoral areas of Maynooth, Celbridge, Naas, Clane and Leixlip have seen a combined 711 new homes completed to end Q3 2025, an increase of 23% on the same period last year.
Government is focused on continuing to increase the national housing stock and ensuring a suitable range of housing, across tenure types, is available to all. The new housing plan Delivering Homes, Building Communities, builds on the foundations laid under Housing for All and aims to deliver a minimum of 300,000 new homes, including record levels of new social homes, an ambitious nationwide Starter Homes Programme and the provision of additional delivery in the areas of Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) and vacant and derelict properties brought back into use, as set out in the Programme for Government.
207. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason the required funding has not been released or allocated in order that the jobs, outlined under Section 4 of the Framework for the Future Delivery of Water Services, can be created and allow staff to retain the roles appropriate to their grade and competency; the reason local authorities are informing staff that only lower-grade positions exist, when the framework explicitly prohibits downgrading; if he will ensure that staff receive clarity on reassignment, role matching and pay grade protections; the oversight and enforcement he is putting in place to ensure that local authorities comply with the commitments made in the Framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66538/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Framework for the Future Delivery of Water Services was prepared following extensive consultation between my Department, Uisce Éireann, the County and City Management Association, the Local Government Management Agency and Trades Union representatives. This dialogue was facilitated by the Workplace Relations Commission. Inter alia, the Framework addressed concerns raised by water services staff.
Section 4 of the Framework outlines that local authority water services staff who decide not to transfer to Uisce Éireann by the deadline of end December 2026 can choose to remain in employment with their local authority. As this deadline approaches local authorities will continue to work closely with water services staff who choose to be redeployed within the local authority. Individual local authorities have put in place various support structures to assist staff move into new roles. These supports are typically tailored to the numbers of staff involved and the level of support required, which varies from local authority to local authority.
Local authorities are fully funded to deliver their services and deliver on their responsibilities under the Framework and my Department is engaging closely with the local authorities to ensure the overall objectives of the water transformation programme are met.
208. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to set out, for each of the past five years, the number of major infrastructure projects whose progression was delayed at the stage of environmental assessment processes, including screening for Environmental Impact Assessment and Appropriate Assessment, and to identify the average duration of delay attributable to these processes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66543/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.
209. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has prepared a year-by-year delivery schedule to achieve the target of 12,000 new social homes per annum; and if he will provide that schedule, including quarterly output milestones for 2026, 2027 and 2028. [66580/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra210. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has carried out any assessment of the staffing, technical and financial resources required by local authorities to meet the 12,000 social homes annual target; and if he will outline any planned increases in housing, engineering, procurement or planning capacity for those authorities. [66581/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra211. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps his Department is taking to ensure that zoning, servicing, water capacity and planning permissions are aligned with the 12,000-unit annual social housing target; and if he will provide any internal reports, reviews or delivery forecasts addressing this alignment. [66582/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 209, 210 and 211 together.
Delivering Homes, Building Communities commits to supporting local authorities by financially supporting fully resourced and ring fenced housing delivery teams in each local authority focused exclusively on new build social and affordable housing projects. This builds on the commitment in Housing for All to strengthen the capacity of local authorities to initiate, design, plan, develop and manage housing projects.
Following extensive work undertaken to identify the additional capital staff resources required by local authorities to deliver the social housing targets set out in Housing for All, funding was approved for 250 technical and administrative housing posts in local authorities nationally to support social housing delivery.
The County and City Management Association (CCMA) is currently leading on a dedicated working group focused on local authority resourcing across the board for housing. My Department continues to work with the local authority sector to ensure adequate resourcing of social housing delivery teams.
On 15 October 2024, my Department published a Ministerial Action Plan on Planning Resources to respond to capacity challenges in the planning sector. This Action Plan provides a detailed roadmap to increase the pool of planning and related expertise needed to ensure a planning system fit for future needs. It sets out 14 high-level actions that provide a coordinated pathway to ensure a sustainable pipeline of planning and related expertise into the future, addressing the areas of education, recruitment and retention, as well as measures to encourage greater innovation and efficiency.
Funding was secured in Budget 2025 to support delivery of the Action Plan and a Steering Group established to coordinate and oversee the development of this Action Plan will remain in place to oversee the implementation and ongoing review of the Action Plan.
The occupation of town planner has now been added to the Critical Skills Occupation List (Action 9 of the Ministerial Action Plan) which will allow eligible non-EEA professionals from outside of Europe to now benefit from streamlined employment permit processes, making it easier for Irish employers to recruit and retain international talent in this vital sector. This addition is a decisive step to addressing planning resource shortages and reinforcing the capacity of our planning system to help meet current and future needs.
My Department is currently working on a number of measures to increase staffing levels in the local government planning sector. In this regard, my Department is collaborating with the local government sector and key stakeholders on the delivery of a programme of supports to planning authorities. These supports include the provision of staffing resources and expertise to enable planning authorities to perform their functions efficiently and effectively.
In October 2023, approval was conveyed to the filling of an initial 101 posts in the local authority planning sector under the first tranche of a programme of supports for planning resources. A further approval issued in January 2025 for 112 posts - 56 graduate planner posts and 56 staff officer posts - to support the Planning function within local authorities. Engagement is ongoing with the local government sector on a third tranche of this programme of planning resources.
On 13 May 2025, a national recruitment campaign was launched to attract graduate planners into Ireland’s local authorities, which was supported by my Department. Regional interviews were held in late July and posts are currently being filled.
Consideration is currently being given to a business case received by the LGMA for a phase 3 of supports for further planning positions within the local government sector which will include a summer internship programme in 2026. Discussions are ongoing in this regard.
It should be noted that, under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible including progressing appointments that have been sanctioned by my Department as appropriate. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels.
Under the new Housing Plan each local authority will prepare a Housing Delivery Action Plan (HDAP) setting out their planned delivery of social and affordable housing out to 2030. This development of HDAPs will be undertaken in collaboration with delivery partners, including the Land Development Agency, Approved Housing Bodies and the development sector. Each local authority’s implementation of the Starter Homes Programme, will be informed by local need, as identified by the Housing Needs and Demand Assessment framework, taking into account the need to provide the right mix of homes within their area. Planned social housing delivery with have regard to need as identified from their social housing waiting list.
The Revised National Planning Framework (NPF) was finalised and approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025. The Revised NPF identifies the need to plan for approximately 50,000 additional households per annum to 2040.
The Revised NPF provides the basis for the review and updating of Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSESs) and local authority development plans to reflect such critical matters as updated housing figures or projected jobs growth, including through the zoning of land for residential, employment and a range of other purposes.
To ensure that local authority development plans reflect the requirements of the NPF in respect of housing as soon as possible, I issued the NPF Implementation: Housing Growth Requirements Guidelines under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 in July 2025. These Guidelines set out the housing demand scenario to 2040 for each local authority, by translating the NPF housing requirements into average annual figures and set out the requirement for planning authorities to commence the process of varying their development plan to meet the new housing growth requirements.
In addition to the baseline housing growth requirement, planning authorities have also been requested to address the scope for additional provision of up to 50% in excess of the baseline housing growth requirement, in light of the urgent need to increase housing delivery and to optimise the ability to deliver on the housing requirements of the Revised NPF. This approach recognises the fact that, for a variety of reasons, a relatively significant proportion of zoned lands are not activated over the period of a development plan.
Planning authorities are currently assessing their current development plan and undertaking a review of the adequacy of existing zoned lands to cater for the new Housing Growth Requirement figures and the potential for ‘additional provision’.
The zoning of land for particular purposes, including housing, is an exercise undertaken by planning authorities as part of their overall statutory plan function generally as part of a development plan under sections 9 to 13 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended), but can at present also be carried out as part of a local area plan (LAP) process. The making of a development plan or an LAP is a reserved function of the elected members of each authority.
In Budget 2026, the total Exchequer funding being made available for the delivery of housing programmes is €7.21bn, comprising:
o Capital Funding - €5.19bn
o Current Funding - €2.021bn
The Exchequer Capital provision of €5.19bn will be supplemented by Land Development Agency (LDA) investment (projected up to €1.6bn) and Housing Finance Agency (HFA) lending (projected over €2bn), resulting in an overall capital provision of over €9bn.
212. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current number of long-term vacant social housing units in Cork city and Cork county; the average turnaround time for void units in both authorities; and the planned targets for reducing long-term voids in 2026. [66583/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra213. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated annual cost to the Exchequer arising from long-term voids in local authority housing stock since 2020; and if he will provide the method used for calculating this estimate. [66584/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 212 and 213 together.
The management and maintenance of local authority social homes, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, implementing a planned maintenance programme and carrying out responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities are also required to ensure all their tenanted homes comply with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019.
Notwithstanding these obligations, my Department provides annual funding under the Planned Maintenance/Voids Programme to support local authority management and maintenance programmes.
Since 2020 to the end of 2024, almost 13,200 vacant social homes have been brought back into productive use through an investment of more than €189m. A further, €31 million will be provided in 2025, supporting the refurbishment and re-letting of a minimum of 1,900 social homes, facilitating the quick turnaround of vacant homes and continuing the transition from a reactive voids approach to a planned maintenance approach. Data on delivery under the 2025 Planned Maintenance/Voids Programme will be available early next year.
Funding will increase again in 2026 and, under a revised 'Voids' programme, will focus on the prompt turnaround of casual vacancies and reducing the level of overall vacancy in the local authority social homes, while also contributing to stock conditions surveys and supporting works arising from these surveys. This funding will complement local authority own resources. It should not be viewed as a substitute for local authority funding and the requirement for adequate budgeting for housing management and maintenance by local authority officials and elected members as part of their annual budgetary process.
Local authorities will always have a level of vacancy in their housing stock. This will fluctuate over time as tenancy surrender and re-letting of dwellings is an ongoing process.
Data regarding the number of voids are not routinely collated by my Department. That said, statistics in relation to social homes, at a point in time, are published by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in their Annual Reports on Performance Indicators in Local Authorities. These reports provide a range of information in relation to social housing stock, including levels of vacancy in local authority owned properties.
The most recent report relating to 2024, including data for Cork City and Cork County Councils, is available at https://www.noac.ie/noac_publications/report-77-noac-performance-indicator-report-2024/
214. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will address the concerns regarding the exclusion of a Kildare housing estate from the interim remediation scheme following a serious fire, which was raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66616/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraGovernment has approved the drafting of legislation to establish supports for the remediation of fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013.
An Interim Remediation Scheme (IRS), for the funding of emergency fire safety defect works in apartments and duplexes constructed between 1991 and 2013, has been in place since December 2023, to provide an acceptable level of fire safety in buildings pending introduction of the Statutory Scheme and completion of the full remedial works.
To qualify for the IRS, a building must be an apartment or duplex, have fire-safety defects and have been built between 1991 and 2013. Houses are not included in the current eligibility criteria. They do not fall within the scope of the scheme.
Neither myself or my Department has any remit in this matter- the management/ operation of the referenced scheme is a matter for the Housing Agency in the first instance. I am therefore not in a position to comment on the specific query raised.
All queries regarding applications to the Interim Remediation Scheme should be directed to Interim.remediation@housingagency.ie
215. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will provide funding to develop a new fire station for Dunleer, County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66629/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003.
My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for equipment and priority infrastructural projects.
Louth County Council has indicated that Dunleer remains their top priority project, and a new fire station at Dunleer is provided for in the Fire Services Capital Programme 2021 - 2025.
The Council submitted a preliminary appraisal to my Department in January 2021. Following examination of the proposal, approval in principle for this project issued on 25 June 2021, along with approval for the Council to appoint a design team and to progress this project to full design and cost plan stage.
Louth County Council is working to finalise the acquisition of their preferred site. Upon final confirmation of the site acquisition, I understand that Louth County Council will move quickly through the necessary phases to progress the construction of a new station for Dunleer. My Department will continue to support Louth County Council to progress the new Dunleer fire station project.
216. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authorities have any discretion or flexibility in the applying of the criteria for the local authority tenant in-situ-scheme; if so, the details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66711/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraTenancy sustainment, via tenant-in-situ, is a priority category under my Department's Second Hand Acquisitions Programme. It is not a scheme, but a policy tool available to local authorities to prevent social housing supported households in the private rented sector from falling into homelessness. It should only be used as a last resort by local authorities when all other options have been exhausted.
Local authorities have delegated sanction to pursue such acquisitions where the all-in cost of such homes is in line with my department's acquisition cost guidelines. Prior approval may be required where the cost exceeds the guideline costs.
Generally, refurbishment costs are not an eligible cost for tenancy sustainment acquisitions. Extensive repairs or refurbishments should not be required. These properties already benefit from significant Exchequer funded rent supports every week, are legally required to meet the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019, and are inspected by local authorities to ensure they meet such standards.
As part of the decision-making process, local authorities have been asked to prioritise families with dependent children, elderly and disabled persons. That said, prioritising households should not be interpreted as excluding any other category. The final decision on each individual acquisition rests with the local authority having considered the individual circumstances of each case.
I expect the 2026 Second Hand Acquisitions Programme to maintain support for tenancy sustainment. Funding allocations will be agreed and notified to local authorities as early as possible next year, with allocations likely informed by the expected level of demand nationwide, the average cost per home in respective local authority areas and, most importantly, the overall budget available.
In the meantime, local authorities have been authorised to enter into commitments for 2026 to a value of up to 30% of their original 2025 acquisitions budget. This allows them commit, pending an agreed programme budget for next year, some €95 million extra in 2025 for acquisitions that will complete and draw down in 2026. This effectively provides for a multi-annual approach to programme delivery, facilitating local authorities to plan and progress acquisitions from one year to the next with a higher level of certainty vis-à-vis future funding availability.
217. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to advise on a matter (details supplied) regarding funding affordable support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66723/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAffordability and the chance to own a home is at the heart of Government’s housing policy, as embodied within the new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025 – 2030. The plan reinforces and expands the range of existing measures being implemented by Government to tackle the issues of supply and affordability, thereby supporting the increased provision of new homes to purchase and rent.
Government is investing an unprecedented level of funding to support housing supply, which will underpin, inter alia, the new Starter Homes Programme, delivering an average of 15,000 affordable housing supports annually to 2030.
In addition to a keen focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction, the plan provides for an expanded remit for the Land Development Agency, work to further extend the First Home and Help to Buy Schemes to 2030, an increase in affordable tenancies and an expanded local authority delivered starter homes for purchase programme.
With a strong focus on deliverability, the Plan will enable housing delivery partners to accelerate the supply of new starter home supports, providing thousands of individuals and families with increased access to secure and affordable housing solutions nationwide including those who may have previously rented.
A list of affordable housing supports currently in place is available at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/0d279-doors-open/, this includes information on the schemes below, some of which are intended to support renters who want to own their own home. A number of these schemes can be combined, thereby providing additional affordability support.
First Home Scheme
The First Home Scheme provides finance to help first time buyers, self-builders or those making a fresh start to bridge the gap between a deposit and mortgage, and the price of a new home. This Scheme takes a percentage ownership of your home, which you can buy back later. For more information on the scheme visit www.firsthomescheme.ie.
The First Home Scheme (FHS) is also available to tenants who are looking to purchase the property they are renting, where they have received a Notice of Termination from their landlord, as the landlord is putting the property on the market. This is known as the Tenant Home Purchase product (THP). It allows an applicant to purchase the house or apartment they have been renting in a private development. For more information, visit https://www.firsthomescheme.ie/product-type/tenant-home-purchase.
Local Authority Home Loan
The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government-backed mortgage for creditworthy first-time buyers and certain other eligible applicants who have been refused a mortgage through a commercial mortgage lender. The scheme is for the purchase of new or second-hand residential properties and for self-builds. It also includes the purchase of homes through Affordable Housing Schemes, with the exception of the First Home Scheme. The Local Authority Home Loan is available nationwide from all local authorities.
The Local Authority Home Loan Tenant Home Purchase scheme allows eligible tenants who have received a valid Notice of Termination from their landlord as the property is being sold to buy the home they are currently renting as the landlord is selling the property. For a Tenant Purchase scheme, applicants can apply for up to 100% funding, i.e., no requirement for a deposit is required. The Local Authority Home Loan is available nationwide from all local authorities. More information on the Local Authority Home Loan is available at the following link: https://localauthorityhomeloan.ie.
Other affordability supports include:
Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan
The Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan is a Government backed mortgage and loan for the purchase and renovation of derelict and non-habitable homes. The property must be eligible for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, whether derelict, non-habitable or simply vacant. For more information visit: https://purchaseandrenovationloan.ie/.
Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is a payment you can get if you are turning a vacant house or building into your permanent home or a rental property. A grant of up to €50,000 is available. If the refurbishment costs exceed the standard grant of up to €50,000, a top-up grant amount of up to €20,000 is available. For more information visit https://www.gov.ie/en/service/f8f1b-vacant-property-refurbishment-grant/.
Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme
Local authorities will make newly built homes available at a reduced price for first-time and other eligible buyers who cannot afford to purchase a home at its open market value with a maximum mortgage and 10% deposit. The local authority will take a percentage equity share in the home equal to the difference between the open market value of the home and the reduced price paid. This means that if a home is purchased at a 20% reduction on the open market value, the local authority will have a 20% equity share in the home. For more information visit www.affordablehomes.ie.
Help to Buy
The Help to Buy scheme can help with a deposit for a new or self-build home. It is a refund on income and DIRT tax paid in Ireland in the last four-years. The scheme comes under the remit of Revenue and the Department of Finance. Information on Help to Buy is available at the following link: https://www.revenue.ie/en/property/help-to-buy-incentive/index.aspx.
