Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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259. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of properties in each county that have been completed under the vacant and derelict homes grants; the number of properties in each county that have been supported by these grants that are now registered with the RTB, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22397/25]

James Browne (Wexford, 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, 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 grant, the property must be vacant for 2 years or more at the time of application.

Take-up of the grant has been significant since it was launched and by the end of Q1 2025 over 12,400 grant applications were received, over 8,600 approved and with 2,000 grants paid.

My Department publishes data on number of applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant on its website on a quarterly basis. The Q1 2025 statistics were published on Monday, 28 April and can be accessed at the following link: gov.ie - Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant statistics (www.gov.ie)

In the case of properties that are benefitting from the grant and are being made available for rent, tenancies must be registered with the Residential Tenancies Board and evidence of registration must be provided to the local authority prior to payment of the grant. As at the end of Q1 2025 262 grants were paid for rental properties.