510. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current processing times for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant from application to approval nationally, in the greater Dublin area, and the Dublin north-west area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49474/26]

523. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question no. 424 of 23 June 2026, if he will provide a schedule of the local authorities that have drawn down an administration grant; if he will provide a schedule of local authorities that have submitted business cases (details supplied). [49824/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 510 and 523 together.

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, funded under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, has been a key measure in addressing vacancy and dereliction across the country. The Grant provides up to €50,000 for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent. A top-up grant of up to €20,000 is available where the property is derelict, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000.

At end Q1 2026, over 17,400 applications have been received, over 13,100 approved, with more than 5,300 grants paid out following completion of works, totalling almost €285 million of grant funding paid out across the county.

Prior to a decision being made on a grant application, the local authority reviews the application to ensure that the grant conditions are met and the required supporting documentation has been submitted. They will then arrange for a site visit to be carried out. Once this process is complete the local authority will make their decision on the grant application which is then issued to the applicant.

The average application processing time i.e. the time from receipt of the application to a decision being made by local authorities over the last 12 months is 65 days. The average processing time in the 4 Dublin local authorities over the last 12 months is 58 days. The Department does not hold data on processing times for specific areas in Dublin. This time period is reduced in cases where a completed application, accompanied by required documentation is received by the local authority.

All 31 local authorities have a full-time Vacant Homes Officer in place as a key point of contact in their Vacant Homes Office teams. My Department provides annual funding of €60,000 to each local authority to ensure a dedicated focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction. Vacant Homes Officers are supported in their role by the Vacant Homes Unit in my Department, the Housing Agency and through the Vacant Homes Officer Network.

My Department has also provided €180,000 to each local authority to support processing Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant applications. Technical and legal support is also available to support local authorities in administering the grant through the Housing Agency.

The new housing plan committed to providing additional support to local authorities for the administration of the grant. In December 2025 the Government approved additional annual funding of up to €100,000 for local authorities in this regard. In June following receipt of a business case my Department contacted local authorities advising them of the process to draw down the additional funding awarded to them to support grant administration. A total of 19 business cases have been received, the table below provides details of the local authorities who submitted a business case:

To date no funding has been drawn down.

While my Department has a role in strategic workforce planning within the local government sector, Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible.

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant has been very successful since its introduction and is making a real difference in urban and rural areas, supporting bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use as homes.

Business cases received