Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue and giving me this opportunity to update Members on the issue of vacancy and dereliction. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne.

Tackling vacancy and dereliction is a key priority for the Government. The reuse of vacant and derelict properties can provide much-needed housing, while also being a catalyst to revitalising communities. A number of national structures have now been established, including a dedicated vacant homes unit in my Department, a full-time vacant homes officer in each local authority and the implementation of a vacant homes action plan to ensure co-ordinated, cross-Government action. In March 2025, the Minister, Deputy Browne, published the 2025 progress report, which shows the significant progress being made in tackling vacancy and is available on my Department's website.

A key focus in the action plan relates to the interaction with the Government's town centre first policy approach, which was launched by my Department and the then Department of Rural and Community Development in 2022. Town centre first provides a whole-of-government policy framework to address the decline in the health of towns and support measures to revitalise them. To drive the delivery of town centre first, dedicated town regeneration officers are now established within local authorities and are working in concert with vacant homes officers and other local authority staff to tackle dereliction and develop regeneration initiatives.

In addition, where local authorities find that the acquisition of particular derelict properties is the appropriate mechanism to return them to use, they are enabled by the provisions of the Derelict Sites Act to acquire them compulsorily. This approach is now supported through the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, which has established a €150 million revolving fund specifically for local authorities to acquire vacant or derelict properties, residential and-or commercial, if necessary, using their compulsory purchase powers, and to carry out any associated works needed to make them more attractive for use or sale. On completion of the most recent review of this element of the URDF programme, over 1,370 residential and commercial properties were approved by the Department for inclusion in the approved programmes for all 31 local authorities.

My Department has also introduced planning and development regulations that provide an exemption from the need to obtain planning permission for the change of use of certain vacant commercial buildings to residential use, including above-the-shop living. The most recent local authority returns from 2024 show that local authorities have received notifications of 1,457 exempted development proposals to date, with plans put forward that result in the provision of 3,429 new homes nationwide.

These exemptions can be combined with other funding supports, such as the vacant property refurbishment grant and the repair and leasing scheme, in order to bring buildings into residential use. At the end of quarter 2 of 2025, over 13,730 applications had been received for the vacant property refurbishment grant and almost 10,000 had been approved. Over 2,800 grants have been paid to date as refurbishment works have been completed. Further information on the range of supports is available on the Department’s website.

This month, the CSO released new vacancy data for 2022 and 2023. It notes a national vacancy rate of 3.3% at the end of 2023, dropping from 3.6% in 2022. While varying levels of vacancy are indicated in different data sources, the overall trend is downwards and vacancy levels are declining nationally.

The new programme for Government, Securing Ireland’s Future, also includes actions that aim to further continue work on town centre living and regeneration challenges. These measures will be considered in the context of the forthcoming new national housing plan that is currently being prepared by my Department, including consideration of potential funding and financial supports to assist in encouraging the use of vacant or derelict buildings in towns and cities for new homes.

I will bring back the point the Deputy raised to the Minister.

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