Catherine Ardagh (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)
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35. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount of funding paid out to vacant property refurbishment grant applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24646/25]

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.

Since its launch to the end of Q1 2025, over 12,400 applications have been received by local authorities across the county, with over 8,650 approved and 2,096 grants paid to applicants. This equates to over €112 million in grant funding, supporting bringing vacant properties back into use as homes.

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: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/collections/vacant-property-refurbishment-grant-statistics/