Call to extend vacant property grant

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant should be extended to include homes built up to and including 2010, says Fianna Fáil’s Clifford Kelly.

Tabling a motion at the December monthly meeting of Cavan County Council, the Kingscourt representative called on the Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien, to expand the ‘Croí Cónaithe’ scheme. Since its launch in 2022, the initiative has attracted over 5,500 applications nationally, with around half of those approved to date.

Under the scheme a grant of up to €50,000 is available. If the refurbishment costs exceed that, a top-up grant of up to €20,000 is available.

But Cllr Kelly says there are “quite a number of houses and apartment” not eligible for the scheme and, were it extended to include 2010 properties, even more could be made available.

“It would make a huge difference,” he said, the motion being seconded by Cllr Kelly’s party colleague John Paul Feeley.