Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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184. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the changes that were made to the vacant property refurbishment top-up grant so that the only eligible properties are those recorded on the local authority derelict site register and when those changes were made. [5029/25]

Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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185. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of properties that qualified for the vacant property refurbishment top-up grant since its introduction and that these properties were not on their local authority derelict site register. [5030/25]

Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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186. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of properties per year that qualified for the vacant property refurbishment top-up grant since the introduction of the grant. [5031/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 184, 185 and 186 together.

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, provides a grant of up to €50,000 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 confirmed to be derelict, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000.

In order to qualify for the derelict top-up grant the applicant must submit an independent report prepared by an appropriately qualified professional confirming that the property is derelict (i.e. structurally unsound and dangerous) or that the property is already on the local authority’s Derelict Sites Register. The scheme requirements to avail of the derelict top-up grant has not changed since the grants inception. There is no requirement that the property must be on the derelict sites register.

My Department publishes date on applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant on its website on a quarterly basis, which includes the number of applications, approvals, the type of grant applied for (vacant property refurbishment or derelict top-up grant) and the total amount of grants paid per local authority. The Q4 2024 stats are currently being compiled and will be published shortly. This data can be accessed at the following link: