Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 January 2026
224. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the actions he will take to ensure that the process for applying for a vacant property refurbishment grant is as streamlined as possible to encourage an increase in the level of uptake; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3345/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant 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 two years or more at the time of application.
The grant is administered by the 31 local authorities. My Department provides funding of €60,000 per annum to support a full-time dedicated Vacant Homes Officer (VHO) role in each local authority. The provision of central funding reinforces the capacity of local authorities, including through the important role of VHOs, to ensure a dedicated focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction. In addition, my Department has provided funding of €180,000 to support each local authority in their administration of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme.
The grant is administered and managed by local authorities, who process and decide on applications in line with the scheme conditions and issue grant payments on completion of approved refurbishment works. VHOs across local authorities are supported in their work by the Vacant Homes Unit in my Department, which provides information and support and facilitates dissemination of information and best practice, including through the VHO Network. Support, advice and guidance is also provided to local authorities by the Property Optimisation Unit in the Housing Agency who have also established a legal and surveyor contract framework that local authorities can avail of to support timely decisions on grant applications and the issuing of payments to applicants.
Comprehensive information on the Grant is available on my Department's website, at the link provided here Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant (www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/services/vacant-property-refurbishment-grant/) including property eligibility requirements, evidence and documentation needed to support a grant application, scheme outline, Frequently Asked Questions and the application form, with information also displayed on the local authorities websites. Information is also available from the Vacant Homes Officer in each local authority to prospective applicants, with their details being available on my Department's website. The link provided here gives the contact details for the VHO's in each local authority: Vacant Homes Officer Contacts (www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/publications/vacant-homes-officer-contacts/). The grant has been extremely successful since its introduction in July 2022. Almost 15,000 applications had been received across the country at end Q3 2025, with over 3,670 grants paid and over €200m in grant funding issued.
The new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, will support the refurbishment of a total of 20,000 homes using this grant and commits to providing additional support to local authorities for the administration of the grant. In December 2025 the Government approved additional annual funding of up to €100,000 for local authorities in this regard.
