Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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576. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to introduce a grant to renovate old one-off housing in rural Ireland to assist with the housing shortage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53597/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The issue of vacant homes in rural areas is addressed in the National Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy 2018-2021 and while my Department does not plan to introduce a grant to renovate old, one-off rural housing, it has committed to work in close partnership with other relevant Government Departments on addressing rural vacancy.

There are already opportunities, under funding programmes for social housing delivery, whereby local authorities and approved housing bodies can assist private property owners in utilising existing vacant housing stock. Depending on the location of social housing need, the Repair and Leasing Scheme is available to owners of vacant properties who cannot afford or access the funding needed to bring their properties up to the required standard for rental property, so they can be made available for social housing use. The Buy & Renew scheme supports local authorities to acquire and remediate suitable vacant properties where there is a social housing need. Information on these schemes is also available in the National Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy 2018-2021, which is available on my Department's website at the following link: .