The Government’s Vacant Home Grant scheme has seen fewer than 1,500 grant drawdowns, falling substantially below its target to deliver 4,000 homes by 2025, according to figures to be presented to Cabinet today by Housing Minister James Browne.
Despite a notable increase in grant drawdowns from just 100 at the end of 2023 to 1,349 by the close of 2024, the scheme’s progress remains significantly behind schedule. The initiative, introduced in 2022 to tackle vacancy and bring empty properties back into use, offers homeowners up to €50,000 for properties vacant for at least two years, with an additional €20,000 available if the property is classified as derelict.
While over 11,300 applications have been submitted since the scheme’s launch and 7,700 approvals have been granted, the conversion to completed projects has been slow. Donegal County Council leads with 1,042 applications by the end of 2024, followed by Cork with 970 and Mayo with 673.
A key criticism of the program has been its payment structure, which requires homeowners to fund renovation works upfront, with grants only paid upon completion. This arrangement has rendered the scheme inaccessible to many potential applicants without substantial savings or financing options. Despite these challenges, the Government forecasts between 2,000 and 2,500 grants will be drawn down in 2025.
According to The Journal, in other Cabinet business today, Enterprise and Tourism Minister Peter Burke will present details of a major new tourism initiative for the border region. The program will develop trail networks across Carlingford Lough, Cuilcagh Lakelands, and Sliabh Beagh, benefiting counties Louth, Armagh, Down, Cavan, Fermanagh, Monaghan, and Tyrone. Each project has been allocated up to €6 million in funding.
Tánaiste Simon Harris will also brief Cabinet on preparations for Ireland’s upcoming EU presidency in 2026. Harris is expected to emphasize the presidency as an “indispensable opportunity for Ireland to shape the EU agenda” during a period of significant geopolitical change. Additionally, he will outline Ireland’s bid to host a summit of the European Political Community, which would bring up to 47 European heads of state and government to Ireland simultaneously.