Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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831. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he plans to further expand the croí cónaithe vacant dwelling scheme in 2024 to include more eligible properties that would add to housing supply, including the possible reduction of vacancy criteria from two years to one year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1695/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock.

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was launched under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund to support bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. 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 commercial or public use 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 property must be vacant for two years or more at the time of grant application and proof of vacancy is required to support grant applications.

When the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund was launched, a commitment was given that the schemes funded by it would be kept under ongoing review. A comprehensive review and evaluation of the schemes under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund is underway and is expected to be completed by mid-2024.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 832 and 833 together.

Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended.

The regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands according to the area concerned, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy.

The Policy provides for a range of income disregards, and local authorities have discretion to decide to disregard income that is temporary, short-term or once-off in nature. In this context, local authorities will disregard overtime payments and bonuses paid in the relevant 12-month assessment period up to a maximum of 10% of the applicant household's annual basic income. Bonuses in the form of share investment would not be assessable.

The Household Means Policy can be viewed at the following link - www.gov.ie/en/publication/fb1f2-social-housing-support-household-means-policy/.