Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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255. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will confirm in relation to the vacant property refurbishment grant, whether or not the current level of funding is being maintained, or increased, as part of the Budget 2025 announcement, specifically whether the €40 million funding for the scheme is additional and/or specifically for 2025 only; the total level of funding provisioned for the grant under this fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40205/24]

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, introduced in July 2022 under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, supports bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use as homes. A grant of up to €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 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.

Details of the 2025 budget allocation for the Croí Cónaithe scheme is available in the Budget 2025 Expenditure Report. The link for the Expenditure Report is available here: www.gov.ie/en/publication/3ab46-budget-2025-expenditure-reports/

The Abridged Estimates for Public Services (AEV) are published as part of the Expenditure Report with the expenditure allocations for Votes limited to programme level only. As such the subhead allocations are draft only and may be subject to change.

The Revised Estimates Volume for Public Services (REV) will be published by the Minister of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform later this year. The REV provides considerably more detail than the AEV including complete subhead level allocations and performance metrics. The REV also forms the basis for parliamentary scrutiny of allocated expenditure.

The finalised subhead allocations will be provided at that point.