Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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567. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he has considered any assistance for those qualifying for the croí cónaithe grant who cannot manage the upfront building costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44404/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is a key support, introduced by this Government, to 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. A top-up grant of up to €20,000 is available where the property is derelict, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to €70,000. The Grant is available in respect of vacant and derelict properties built prior to 2008, in towns, villages, cities and rural areas.

The grant process involves the local authority receiving and reviewing applications to ensure that the grant conditions are met and arranging for a qualified person to visit the property to check the refurbishment work being applied for and to assess the proposed cost. Following confirmation of a successful application and the works being completed, the local authority will conduct a final property visit to review that the work has been completed in-line with the grant application. Once the local authority is satisfied, they will then pay the grant. Payment of the grant at the end of the process is to ensure that the applicant has carried out the works applied for and for which the grant is being paid.

On the 5th June the Government approved a Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan (LAPR), which is expansion of the Local Authority Home Loan, to support the purchase and renovation of homes which are eligible for the existing Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant.

From July, under the new LAPR, a first-time buyer or Fresh Start applicant who wishes to purchase and/or renovate a Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant eligible home but who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial lenders are able to apply to their local authority for a loan under the LAPR scheme. While the LAPR has some additional conditions compared to the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, it has the potential to help first time buyers and fresh start applicants who are struggling to complete the purchase and renovation of a vacant or derelict property by providing an avenue to secure the necessary finance to make their project viable.

This reinforces the Government’s commitment to bring vacant and derelict homes back into use, a key objective of Housing for All, while also providing another funding pathway for individuals to realise their goal of homeownership.

When the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund was launched, a commitment was given that a comprehensive review of the schemes under it, including the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, would be undertaken by mid 2024. The review has now been completed and I am now considering its contents.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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568. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government how many home loan grants have been awarded by each local authority to those that qualified for the croí cónaithe grant and applied for the home loan grant, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44405/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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On 5 June 2024 , I received Government approval to introduce the Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan (LAPR). The Statutory Instrument underlying the scheme came into effect on 22 July 2024.

The LAPR is an expansion of the Local Authority Home Loan, and supports the purchase and/or renovation of homes which are eligible for the existing Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant. It is for creditworthy first-time buyers and fresh start applicants who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase and/or renovate a derelict or vacant property. The introduction of the LAPR loan supports the Government's policy of bring vacant homes back into use. Eligibility for the loan is subject to applicants meeting existing local authority mortgage eligibility criteria, as well as the renovation project meeting the scheme's lending criteria.

Information on LAPR drawdowns will be compiled as part of the normal local authority quarterly reporting process. As the scheme only opened in July 2024, these quarterly reports are not yet available.