Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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213. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of vacant homes that were brought back into use in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5424/25]

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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214. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of ‘above-the-shop’ homes that came into use in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5425/25]

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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215. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he has specific targets for bringing vacant homes back into use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5426/25]

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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216. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he has specific targets for bringing ‘above-the-shop’ back into use as permanent dwellings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5427/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 213, 214, 215 and 216 together.

Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government, as set out in Pathway 4 of Housing for All.

The Vacant Homes Action Plan, published in January 2023, built on Pathway 4 of Housing for All and set out the various actions that were being pursued to return vacant properties back into use as homes. In April 2024, my Department published an update on the Action Plan which shows the significant progress that is being made and it is available on my Department's website at the following link:

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, 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. 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.

Eligible properties include residential properties, former commercial and public use properties which have been vacant for 2 years or more at time of application. Upper floors of commercial buildings which have been vacant for two years or more and built prior to 2008 are eligible for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, regardless of whether the ground floor is currently vacant or derelict.

At the outset, the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund aimed to deliver 2,000 homes by 2025. This has since been increased to 4,000. There are no specific targets for ‘over the shop spaces’.

My Department publishes data on the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant on its website on a quarterly basis. This includes a breakdown by local authority of the total number of grant applications received, the number approved, rejected and the number of grants paid. This data can be accessed at the following link:

The Q4 2024 statistics are currently being verified and will be published in due course.

Information on the number of vacant properties brought back into use in 2024 through other vacancy schemes is being collated by my Department and will be available in the coming months.

The new Programme for Government has committed to expanding the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant to create an ‘Above the Shop’ grant and my Department is currently progressing this.