Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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61. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will consider amending the vacant property refurbishment grant to allow applicants who are facing homelessness to move into the property prior to applying to the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15721/24]

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 supports 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.

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 Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is available to properties which have been vacant for 2 years or more prior to the grant application being made. As set out in the guidelines of the scheme, once confirmation of vacancy is submitted along with the grant application, the applicant can move into the property the application is being made in respect of.

When the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund was launched, a commitment was given that a comprehensive review of the schemes under the Fund, including the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, would be undertaken by mid-2024. That review is now underway and is due to be completed in May 2024.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support available for people who have a long-term housing need. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP. Eligible households can source their own accommodation in the private rental sector which should be within the HAP rent limits provided to them by the local authority.

The latest data available covers the period up to end Q4 2023. The table below provides a breakdown of the total number of active HAP tenancies at the end of Q4 2023, in each of the municipal districts in County Louth.

The table below provides a breakdown of the total number of active HAP tenancies at the end of Q4 2023, in each of the municipal districts in County Meath.

*inter-authority movements, whilst the tenant is registered with Meath/Louth, the tenancy is outside of the county.