Vacant property grant delays
Deputy Burke said new charge-registration requirements are preventing vacant property grants from being paid before year-end, particularly in Cork City Council. The Taoiseach said he would speak to the housing Minister and ask the council what can be done.
The vacant property grant was introduced quite some time ago but changes were made in September 2025 where a charge is now required to be registered by the local authority. As a result, there is now a huge number of people for whom the grant will not be paid before 31 December. In particular, I am talking about property in the Cork City Council area. A mortgage and deed of charge have to be submitted to the council, which has to lodge it for registration and a grant will not be paid out until a dealing number is issued. No process has been put in place to expedite the payment of the grant. We now have people who borrowed money to buy property and to have it renovated and brought into use and they are now not able to borrow any more money. As the grant has not been paid out, builders have not been paid and it is now causing a huge problem in the building industry and for the people who took the risk of buying the properties.
