The government says over 6,300 vacant and derelict homes have been brought back into use with the help of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, over 540 of them in Donegal.
That’s the highest number of grants to date in the country.
Since the start of the initiative, Donegal County Council has issued grants valued at almost €31 million, bringing 542 properties back into use, 75 of them in the second quarter of this year.
Over the full period, the council received 1,623 applications, with 1,233 of them approved, meaning there are 691 approved projects still outstanding in the county.
In April of this year, the ‘Vacant Above the Shop’ grant scheme was introduced in a bid to revitalise town centres. So far, 37 applications have been received nationally, but as of yet, none have been received from Donegal.
Welcoming the figures, Housing Minister James Browne said vacant homes are usually near services and infrastructure, all of which is being paid for every day by the taxpayer.
He says the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is proving to be a highly effective measure which he is anxious to encourage.
Release in full –
Minister James Browne confirms more than 6,300 vacant and derelict homes restored through Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant to date
- €350 million in vacancy grants issued since scheme began
- County by county breakdown of applications, approvals and payments have been published
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD has confirmed more than 6,300 homes have been brought back into active use through €348.6 million in Vacant Property Refurbishment Grants.
A total 14,377 applications for the grant have been approved since the scheme began in July 2022, according to new statistics released today. And a total 6, 312 grant payments have already issued on completion of works.
This means, on average, six previously vacant properties are being brought back into active use every working day across Ireland under the scheme.
In the second quarter of this year alone €52.6 million of grants were issued on completion of works bringing 923 vacant homes back into use.
Furthermore, 37 Vacant Above the Shop Grants – a scheme only introduced in April of this year – were among the 1,157 grant applications received by local authorities between April and June.
Donegal County Council has issued the greatest number of grants to date, valued at €30.9 million bringing 542 properties back into use.
According to the figures, 1638 applications for the grant have been made in Donegal with 1233 approved applications to date.
Minister James Browne said:
“Six previously vacant properties are being brought back into active use every working day across Ireland. This is what I want to see. I do not accept properties being left needlessly idle in a housing crisis.
“The numbers being brought back into use demonstrates the real impact that targeted investment can have in bringing much needed homes back into use.
“Since I became Minister I have lasered in on the levels of vacancy and dereliction in this country and not just in our cities either.
“We have to bring homes that already exist back into use. They are there. They are usually near services and infrastructure, from paths to roads – all of which is being paid for every day by the taxpayer.
“This Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is proving to be a highly effective measure. It gives people support to refurbish properties that might otherwise have remained empty. I want to encourage this.
“To be honest we need the regeneration of towns and communities across the country and at the heart of that is having people living in them.”
Minister Browne said he wanted to acknowledge the homeowners and local authorities, who are working together, using the grant and tackling vacancy and encourages anyone interested in the scheme to check the details or talk to the Vacancy Officer in their local authority.
