Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Murphy for raising this matter. I also thank Senator Duffy who has been working with him on this. I will bring the suggestions he made to the Department. Some consideration should be given to them because Senator Murphy is well versed in the matter.

The important point for the Government is that bringing existing vacant and derelict buildings back into use as homes is a priority for the Government and a central element of our housing plan. Significant progress has been made in addressing vacancy. A key measure that has been introduced is the vacant property refurbishment grant. It provides substantial support to bring these properties into use as homes. The grant provides support of up to €50,000 for the refurbishment of vacant properties and a further €20,000 for derelict properties. Feedback on the grant and the level of interest in the grant has continued to grow, with over 17,400 applications received to the end of quarter one this year, of which over 13,100 applications have been approved and over 5,300 grants paid, totalling almost €285 million. Recognising the need to bring as many vacant properties into use as homes, particularly in our towns and cities, a new expert advice grant and vacant above the shop grant were introduced to support bringing vacant upper floors into residential use, with a package of up to €140,000 available for the conversion of vacant space in such properties.

The grant process involves the local authority receiving and reviewing applications to ensure that grant conditions are met, and arranging for a qualified person to visit the property to check the refurbishment work being applied for and to assess the proposed cost. When the works are completed, the local authority will conduct a final property visit to review that the approved work has been completed in line with the grant application. The grant is paid on completion of the approved works, ensuring that the applicant has carried out the works applied for. This is also the approach in other grants, such as the SEAI and housing adaptation grants. It is important to note that introducing a system of having completion certification by a relevant qualified professional would result in every applicant having to engage the services of such a qualified professional, which would then result in an additional cost to the applicant.

In December 2025, the Government approved an additional sum of up to €100,000 per annum for each local authority to support the effective and efficient administration of the grant, in addition to the annual payment of €60,000 for the vacant homes office in each local authority. It is the responsibility of each chief executive to ensure appropriate resources are assigned to administration of the grant. Under Delivering Homes, Building Communities, more will be done to tackle vacancy and dereliction. The plan will ensure that the activities and resources used to address vacancy and dereliction are co-ordinated, and that legislative powers are used proactively to bring dereliction and vacancy to an end. As a result, families and people can become part of, and contribute to, vibrant thriving communities. I will take the points Senator Murphy raised back to the Department.