Government to consider vacant property grant changes after just 21 draw-downs
Derelict houses in St Mary's Park, Limerick.
The Government will consider making changes to a vacant property refurbishment scheme, after just 21 grants were drawn down since the scheme came into effect last year.
The first reported that, despite 4,640 applications to the scheme and 1,975 approvals, just 21 grants have been drawn down since the programme was introduced in July 2022.
So far, none of these drawdowns have been in either Cork city or county.
The scheme itself allows people to access up to €50,000 in grants to renovate a vacant property, and up to €70,000 to restore a derelict property. However, the scheme is paid in arrears, so work must first be completed before it can be drawn down.
The matter was raised by Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty at Leaders’ Questions on Thursday, who criticised the Government for failing to include the figures in this week’s Housing for All update.
“Right throughout the State, people in our cities, in our towns and our villages, people are all too aware of the scourge of dereliction and of vacancy. Something that grates all the more as people face a deepening housing crisis,” Mr Doherty said.
“Yet despite this, despite the tens of thousands of vacant properties that blight our cities our towns and our villages, this is a scheme that is completely failing to turn vacant properties into homes for workers and families.”
The Sinn Féin finance spokesperson was critical of the nature of the scheme, saying people could not afford to restore properties without getting the funds in advance.
Responding to Mr Doherty, Finance Minister Michael McGrath said that to deal with the ongoing housing crisis, there needed to be an increase in the supply of all forms of housing.
Mr McGrath said the schemes themselves are popular, citing the 4,640 applications that have come in since it opened last year.
“Of course, the minister [for housing] will be open to any opportunities to improve the operation of the scheme,” Mr McGrath said.
“This is a new scheme and it is definitely proving popular and many people are looking to it as a means of bringing a vacant home back into use or indeed of tackling dereliction.
“The minister [for housing] will be engaging with the local authorities and indeed with applicants to get the feedback and to make sure that any issues that have arisen in terms of the operation of the scheme are being addressed over the period ahead.”
Mr McGrath said the scheme had already been approved, with changes to the vacancy and dereliction eligibility date as well as increasing the funding that can be drawn down.
