Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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68. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of properties approved for a vacant property refurbishment grant, by local authority; the number of grants paid in each local authority area; the total value of the grants paid in each local authority area, since July 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12540/25]

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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87. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will report on the uptake of the croí cónaithe scheme in Roscommon and Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12573/25]

Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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102. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department will review the vacant property refurbishment grant beyond its current remit, specifically to release grant funds in stages, making it more appealing and affordable for individuals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9657/25]

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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105. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of applications received for the vacant property grant to date in 2025. [12678/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 68, 87, 102 and 105 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.

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. This is also the case for grants such as the SEAI grants and Housing Adaptation Grants, which are paid when works are completed.

A review of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was undertaken in 2024, which included the matter of staged payments. That review has been completed and is under consideration.

Under the Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan, launched by Minister O'Brien in July 2024, a first-time buyer who wishes to purchase and/or renovate a Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant eligible home but who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial lenders is now able to apply to their local authority for a loan under the scheme. The Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan has the potential to help first time buyers and fresh start applicants to complete the purchase and renovation of a vacant or derelict property and provides an avenue to secure the necessary finance to make the project viable.

Take-up of the Grant has been significant since it was launched and by the end of December 2024 over 11,300 grant applications were received with over 7,700 approved. Payment of grants by local authorities commenced at the end of 2023 as refurbishment works started to be completed and this has steadily increased with 1,449 grants paid by Q4 2024. I expect this to significantly increase over 2025 as more refurbishment works are completed.

My Department publishes data on applications for the Grant on its website on a quarterly basis, which includes breakdowns by local authority. The Q1 2025 grant statistics will be published in April. I will arrange for the relevant web link to be circulated with the official record.