Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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813. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount of funding drawn down from the voids programme, by each local authority, in each of the past five years and to date in 2023. [37208/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.

Since 2014, Exchequer funding has been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to support local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting. This funding was initially introduced to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted at ensuring minimal turnaround and re-let times for local authority vacant stock.

An annualised breakdown by local authority of the funding provided and the number of properties remediated under the Voids programme for the years 2014 up to and including 2022 is available on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/0906a-other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics/#voids-programme

Local authorities have been notified of their targets and funding available for 2023, however, it will be later this year before significant claims have been received. Full details on 2023 will be available early in 2024.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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814. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the total number of persons who successfully availed of the vacant properties refurbishment grant since it was established; and if a geographical breakdown can be provided in tabular form. [37209/23]

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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871. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government how many vacant property reimbursement grants have been issued by local authority, by month, since its introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37762/23]

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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872. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government how many derelict property top-up grants have been issued by local authority, by month, since its introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37763/23]

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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880. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government whether it is the relevant local authority or his Department that processes vacant property refurbishment grants; the average response time for an initial application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37771/23]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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899. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of applications received under the croí cónaithe vacant property grant scheme since its inception to date for each local authority; the number of applications that have been approved in each local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38161/23]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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932. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of applications received and approved respectively for the croí cónaithe scheme, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38729/23]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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942. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he has any figures in relation to the number of croí cónaithe applications made to the various local authorities since the scheme's inception, in particular Cavan and Monaghan, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38892/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 814, 871, 872, 880, 899, 932 and 942 together.

Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock.

In July 2022 the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was launched under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund to support bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use.

From 1 May 2023, a grant of up to a maximum of €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent, including the conversion of a property which has not been used as residential heretofore, subject to appropriate planning permission being in place.

Where the refurbishment costs are expected to exceed the standard grant of up to €50,000, a maximum top-up grant amount of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed by the applicant to be derelict or where the property is already on the local authority’s Derelict Sites Register, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000.

The grant is available in respect of vacant and derelict properties built up to and including 2007, in towns, villages, cities and rural areas.

The grant is processed at local authority level with guidance and support provided by the Vacant Homes Unit in my Department.

The grant process involves the local authority receiving and reviewing applications to ensure that the grant conditions are met and the required documentation has been submitted and arranging for a qualified person to visit the property to check the refurbishment work being applied for and to assess the proposed cost.

My Department publishes data on applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant on its website on a quarterly basis, which can be accessed at the following link: (www.gov.ie/en/collection/4bbe4-vacant-property-refurbishment-grant-statistics/#)