Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

31. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government To ask the Minister for Housing for an update on the number of successful applications for the First Home Scheme, and a breakdown on a county-by-county basis. [54215/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The First Home Scheme, which launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme, designed to help bridge the gap for eligible first-time buyers, eligible homebuyers, and now self-builders, between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home (within price ceilings established across the country). Details are available on the First Home Scheme website, www.firsthomescheme.ie.

The First Home Scheme DAC is fully responsible for the operation of the First Home Scheme on behalf of all shareholders and, as such, is responsible for First Home Scheme reporting.

Quarterly and annual updates are made available on the First Home Scheme website. The most recent report, that of Q3 2023, is available at the following link: www.firsthomescheme.ie/media/3sohrku4/fhs-q3-2023.pdf.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In July 2022 I launched the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, which supports bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use as homes.

In May 2023, I announced a revised grant rate of up to a maximum of €50,000 available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and also for properties which will be made available for rent, including the conversion of a property which has not previously been used as residential.

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

The cost of the Grant to date is €4.3 million. This includes recoupment to local authorities for grants paid and administrative support to local authorities.

My Department publishes data on applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant on its website on a quarterly basis, see gov.ie - Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant statistics (www.gov.ie)