Ms Elaine Houlihan:

As president of Macra na Feirme, I am joined by Ms Niamh Farrell, chairperson of the national rural youth committee, and Mr. Mick Curran, CEO of Macra na Feirme. I thank the committee for the invitation to speak on the topic of revitalising derelict and vacant houses on farmland.

Farm buildings and homesteads play a central role in the sustainability of the rural environment. Macra na Feirme supports, therefore, the motion to revitalise derelict and vacant houses on farmlands across Ireland. Historically, the rural landscape has been dominated by agriculture and the activities of rural inhabitants have strongly influenced the agricultural environment and the visual perception of the landscape. Thus, farm buildings and houses are a characteristic part of the landscape. Together with field patterns and boundaries, they provide an essential component of the built heritage and landscape. Farmhouses, designed through the decades to support farming families and their communities, provide a valuable link to our farming past and impart an understanding of historical agricultural settlement patterns and ownership structures.

However, changing farming practice and society needs of farming families have left many farmhouses and buildings unsuited to modern living and farming needs. As a consequence, many farmhouses dotted throughout the countryside now lie derelict. Through the revitalisation of farm buildings, together with their continued appreciation and reuse, there is opportunity to preserve the cultural heritage of our rural landscape while also addressing the current housing crises. This will also address the urgent need to make rural housing and living attractive to the younger rural generation. Macra na Feirme strongly emphasises that these dwellings continue to play a central role in the formation of the rural landscape. Representing the legacy of past generations, they provide us with the challenge of preserving this critical link to our heritage.

These derelict farmhouses also provide an opportunity for rural regeneration through the development of these key assets that are commonly found in prime locations across the landscape. As a result, they have potential to add value to existing farm economies and rural communities. Bringing derelict farmhouses into productive use presents a fast and cost-effective way to meet the current housing demands and the needs of rural communities. There are currently 150,000 vacant homes in Ireland. As these homes are not coming onto the market or being lived in, there is a requirement for additional housing. This additional housing need can be met either by building more houses or renovating existing homes. Renovation of property has a key role to play in addressing the housing shortfall and there are significant opportunities for renovation of housing that is currently vacant on farmland. Rural vacancy is commonly considered only in the context of towns and villages but the derelict farm housing across the agricultural landscape provides significant opportunities for addressing the housing shortfall and rural development. It is important to note that addressing rural vacancy across Irish farmland by renovating derelict properties will also support urban areas through alleviating pressure where housing densities are increasing, thus providing mutual benefits for urban and rural areas.

Local demand for vacant homes in rural areas is currently limited. A recent survey by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland found that only 25% of derelict properties profiled were deemed to be financially viable. As only 25% of vacant properties may be financially viable, the current scheme available to commercial properties, under which grants of up to €70,000 are available to refurbish a commercial premises once the refurbished unit is passed to a local authority for social housing, cannot be directly applied to derelict houses on farmlands or in the wider rural setting.

Through addressing housing need from an Irish agricultural landscape perspective, the renovation of derelict farm buildings recognises the long-standing role of farmers and the wider rural community in preserving the built heritage left by previous farming generations. This legacy is at the heart of Irish farming families and the communities they support. It must be conserved and managed better so that the legacy is available for future generations.