Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. In a world where we are surrounded and bombarded daily with bad news housing stories, I want to talk about one positive housing story. The croí cónaithe vacant property grants were introduced by the previous Government in 2022. I had the privilege of working with the previous Minister, his Department and our local authority members to introduce those grants, because we all know the fastest and most sustainable way to increase our housing supply is to use the vacant properties that are already built and connected to fresh water, wastewater, public lighting, and roads and are close to our communities, schools and all the other community services. Those grants have been successful. The previous Government did not just provide the funding for the grant but also ensured that the grants would be delivered locally by each of our 31 local authorities. It gave the local authorities the funding for the grants and also gave the local authorities funding to establish vacant housing offices and dedicated vacant housing officers. The response has been tremendous. There have been more than 11,000 applications for those grants and they have been very successful.

There is an opportunity, as I am sure the Minister of State will agree, to go further with those grants.I believe that if those grants were extended, as Fianna Fáil promised in its manifesto, to include an increased grant of €100,000 for over-the-shop developments, those grants would enable property owners in towns, villages and cities and elsewhere throughout the country to turn those vacant properties into liveable homes. They would not just be providing essential homes for people but would also be providing new life into the towns and villages. It would be a significant stimulus of regeneration in urban and rural communities. My Commencement matter seeks an update from the Department on where it is at in amending the grants to extend them to the over-the-shop grant of €100,000.

I am also hoping the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, will have been sent here today with an update on the question of amending the payment schedule for the grants to staged payments. I advise everyone I speak to to engage early with the vacant housing officer because every vacant property has its own unique circumstances and its own unique challenges and opportunities. The way the grant is set up at the moment, once the grant is approved following application, the applicant has up to 13 months to draw it down. That is a reasonable amount of time because it can take time to secure contractors, for the contractors to be available, and for the works to be complete, but there is an ask that the payment would be made in stages and that there may be a facility for either a first or second stage payment.

I appreciate the Minister of State is taking this Commencement matter at short notice and his presence is very valued, but I hope the Department has sent the Minister of State with an update on my two queries. There is a huge opportunity for us to do more with those grants and for those grants to play an even greater part in increasing housing supply in areas in towns and villages where there is a huge need, where there is already a community that would welcome additional residents, and, most important, where the utilities connections are already in place for fresh water, wastewater and electricity. All that is needed is the human activity brought back again to bring life into the towns and villages and these vacant properties. I look forward to the Minister of State's response.