Written answers
Tuesday, 29 July 2025
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Housing Schemes
Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1397. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the issues identified with the serviced sites scheme, considering only four local authorities have provided for the scheme and no houses have been sold; and his plans to make the scheme a success. [40797/25]
Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1398. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of local councils who provide a serviced sites scheme; the number of sites currently proposed by each local authority; the number of serviced sites being built currently in each local authority; and the number of sites available to purchase in each local authority, in tabular form. [40798/25]
Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1399. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is aware of the issues local authorities are having in providing serviced sites schemes; if he has met with local authorities to discuss the serviced sites scheme; if the scheme is to be enacted to deal with any shortcomings highlighted by the local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40799/25]
James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1397 to 1399, inclusive, together.
The Ready to Build Scheme, funded by the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, to support addressing vacancy, was launched in September 2022.
Under the scheme, local authorities identify suitable vacant sites in their ownership or purchase vacant sites in towns and villages and make them available for sale to individual purchasers for the purpose of building a principal private residence. Once serviced, the local authority will make the site available for sale at a discount on the market value of the site. The level of discount to the individual will depend on the level of servicing cost incurred by the local authority before the sale of the site, up to a maximum of €30,000.
The scheme is managed and administered by local authorities on behalf of my Department. To date 32 sites have been made available for sale by 4 local authorities, 5 sites in Wicklow, 16 sites in Laois, 4 sites in Tipperary and 7 sites by Kildare County Council. The relevant local authority assesses the applications they receive based on the framework of priorities contained in the scheme outline.
A further 70+ sites have been identified by various local authorities for possible inclusion in the scheme. These sites are at various stages of consideration to determine the costs involved to service the sites and ascertaining the potential level of interest in site purchase. It is not, therefore, possible to determine the number of sites that will be made available for sale under the scheme until this process is completed. The Vacant Homes Unit in my Department is continuing to engage with local authorities in relation to the scheme.
A review of the schemes under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, including the Ready to Build Scheme, was undertaken in 2024. Local authorities were consulted with as part of the review, which was undertaken by Indecon Consultants That review has been completed and is under consideration.
In addition, the Programme for Government also contains a commitment for the Ready to Build Scheme and my Department is currently progressing work on this.
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