The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne has today published the latest figures relating to the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant which shows  that over €77 million has been paid out in relation to the refurbishment of 1,449 homes.

In county Tipperary €3,355,173 in vacant property refurbishment grants have been approved.  Cllr Declan Burgess is welcoming the news as the grant is intended to help bring derelict properties back to life as affordable homes including properties that were commercial properties in the past.

The Scheme gives grants of €50,000 or in some cases €70,000 and can be combined with a SEAI grant. The new home can be used as a principal private residence or can be rented out. In addition it may be possible for a person to secure a Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan to purchase a derelict property.

The Councillor says that while increasing the supply of new homes for people to buy is the key action in responding to the Housing crisis  it is also vital to get the best use out  of existing housing stock.

In county Tipperary last year 544 applications were made under the scheme and 412 of these have been approved and 64 paid to date.  33 of the applications were rejected.  Overall, across the country since the launch of the grant in July 2022, there have been 11,327 applications, 7,738 approvals and 1,449 grants issued up to 31 December 2024