Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I welcome an Aire Stáit, Deputy O'Donnell, to the Seanad.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Minister of State is welcome. The housing crisis affects the whole island and it is important we use every measure at our disposal to unlock one of the great social challenges of our time. The croí cónaithe scheme has been delivered specifically for land or building owners. It is a positive measure. It began for towns with populations of more than 600 people. Something I campaigned for when I was in Mayo County Council was that it be expanded to the whole countryside, to towns and villages, because we have cottages and old run-down buildings in all these different landscapes. That was positively received and the measure has enabled much more supply of housing in rural areas. It should be supported and complimented.

The croí cónaithe cities scheme, which is a totally different scheme and should perhaps have a different name because there is a lot of confusion about it, is specifically for cities. It is for 20 units or more delivered by a developer on a brownfield or derelict site to bring it back into use. This scheme is a good one, but it is limited to cities alone. There are towns like Castlebar, Ballina and Westport in Mayo where people used to live on the streets above the shops. There were vibrant town centres. We should not be limiting the croí cónaithe apartment scheme developments to cities. I ask that it be expanded to include towns with a population of more than 10,000 people.

I also ask that a sliding scale be created so that other market towns, the smaller market towns with populations of 3,000, 4,000 or 5,000, have some scheme or mechanism in place to stimulate and incentivise the regeneration of derelict and vacant properties. Currently, there are some schemes but not enough and it would be welcome if we could introduce the croí cónaithe cities incentive and support on a smaller scale for towns and on a smaller scale again for medium to smaller towns and perhaps even for developments of five units in villages. I look forward to the Minster of State's contribution and hope for his support because it could be one of the many solutions to unlock the housing crisis.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I welcome guests of Senator Andrews, Catherine and Paddy Moloney and Rita O'Hagan from Glin, County Limerick. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

We have to welcome anyone from Limerick, so I welcome our visitors.

I thank Senator Duffy for raising this important matter. Addressing vacancy and bringing existing properties back into use as homes is a key priority of the Government. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne.

A key initiative introduced in 2022 under the croí cónaithe towns fund is the vacant properties refurbishment grant, which provides support of up to €50,000 to refurbish vacant properties and a further €20,000 for derelict properties. Feedback on the grant has been positive. It is making a real difference. At the end of March 2025, more than 12,200 applications had been received by local authorities, more than 8,600 had been approved and 2,096 grants had been paid, totalling more than €112 million. Under the scheme, there can be a maximum of two grants per property, one for the property that will be the applicant's home and one for a property that will be made available for long-term rent. A comprehensive review of the scheme under the croí cónaithe towns fund was carried out in 2024 and findings and recommendations are being considered.

A number of other supports may be used by others to bring vacant and derelict properties into use. The Senator referenced the croí cónaithe towns fund being available nationwide. The repair and lease scheme supports refurbishment of vacant properties for use as social housing. This scheme provides an interest free loan to owners of up to €80,000 for each individual unit completed in a formerly vacant property. For example, where a vacant former shop is adapted to four apartments, a loan of up to €320,000 is available. Refurbishment grant homes are leased to the local authority and the property owner receives a regular income based on market rent, with the loan repaid as a reduction in the lease payment over an agreed term.The scheme is increasingly being used to convert vacant commercial properties into social housing units. Planning exemptions are also available for the conversion of certain commercial properties to residential use. Planning regulations introduced in 2018, which exempted certain vacant commercial premises, including over-the-shop-type spaces, from requiring planning permission to change to residential purposes, were extended to the end of 2025. The exemptions support the reuse of vacant commercial buildings as homes, increasing housing supply and regenerating communities.

The Senator raised the croí cónaithe cities scheme. He made reference to a number of issues in terms of expanding the scheme. These are matters I will bring back to the Minister, Deputy Browne, and the Department.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I welcome to the Gallery a guest of Senator Duffy, Mr. John Fitzpatrick from Boston. I thank him for making the journey all the way from the other side of the Atlantic.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I also welcome my guest, Mr. Fitzpatrick. It is great to have him in the Public Gallery of the Chamber.

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I am well aware of the repair and lease scheme. It is an excellent scheme, but it is not the same as the croí cónaithe scheme with its city-style development. The repair and lease scheme provides funding of up to €80,000 per unit. It specifies that beneficiaries take tenancies from the county council. Croí cónaithe, on the other hand, is a more private sector-led development. It is a grant. It is not paid out of rent or anything like that, as the Minister of State knows. The croí cónaithe cities scheme is very good. We do not need to overcomplicate things. We need to stimulate development in every town and village across the country, not just in cities. We demonstrated that when we expanded the croí cónaithe scheme. The criteria were limiting it to a population of 600. We broadened those and now we can see the figures for ourselves. More than 12,000 people have applied. That is incredible and very positive. It is one of the positive measures that is being used to tackle the housing challenge.

I am asking for a scheme similar to the cities scheme to be created and tailored for areas of different population sizes - 20,000, 10,000 and 5,000 - to encourage the revitalisation and regeneration of our market towns. I would appreciate it if the Minister of State would work to advocate and support this request with the Minister. I have no doubt but that the Minister of State will do that. I thank him for coming to the Chamber to discuss the issue.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Having listened carefully to the points raised by the Senator, I will say that the Government is committed to addressing vacancy. The vacant property refurbishment grant has been successful in this regard, along with the other schemes and measures in place. It is supporting bringing properties back into use as homes and the regeneration of villages, towns and cities.

The Senator raised a point in respect of the croí cónaithe cities scheme. I will bring his suggestion back to the Minister and the Department. I suggest that the Senator make a submission to them on the particular issue he has raised, outlining the areas he would like to be looked at. I will follow up on the matter with the Minister and the Department.