691. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has examined the potential cost of converting vacant and derelict buildings into residential accommodation compared with the construction of new housing; whether barriers to such conversions have been identified, including planning, building regulations and funding; and the measures that are being considered to overcome these barriers. [64682/26]

Working to end vacancy and dereliction is a key priority in the Government's housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities. The Plan aims to ensure that the activities and resources used to address vacancy and dereliction are co-ordinated and effective and that legislative powers are used proactively to work to bring vacancy and dereliction to an end.

This objective is a key priority under Pillar 1 of the Housing Plan, which focuses on activating the supply of 300,000 homes.

Considerable effort has been made by my Department to clarify the application of building regulations to existing buildings and support reducing vacancy.

My Department has published Bringing Back Homes - Manual for the Reuse of Existing Buildings (1st edition 2018 and 2nd edition 2024). The manual aims to provide property owners, members of the public, local authorities and those involved in the construction industry with guidance on the reuse of these buildings and how regulatory requirements relating to, for example, the planning system, fire safety, rental regulations and heritage conservation apply to different building types, including above-the-shop type refurbishments / conversions. It provides clear and detailed guidance on current policy and regulatory requirements that apply to this form of development.

The manual is available to download on my Department’s website at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/68a5b-bringing-back-homes-manual-for-the-reuse-of-existing-buildings/.

The manual also includes information on the schemes and supports in place to support property owners returning these properties to use. There are now a range of schemes in place to address vacancy and support urban regeneration, such as the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, the Vacant Above the Shop Grant, Repair and Leasing, Buy and Renew, the Living City Initiative, Town Centre First, Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme (THRIVE) and planning exemptions.

A comprehensive revision was undertaken of Technical Guidance Document B (Fire Safety), which for the first time in 2024 introduced a dedicated Section 7 on Existing Buildings. These measures clarify the technical fire safety provisions that apply to existing buildings, in support of the government objectives of the re-use of our existing building stock. Amongst the prescriptive solutions contained in Section 7 are measures to support the conversion to apartments, the retention of materials in existing buildings, the use of external escape stairways, and specific measures aimed at the conversion to residential (apartment) accommodation, including above-the-shop units

An 'Information Note on Alternative Approaches to Demonstrate Compliance with the Building Regulations' was published to accompany the revised Building Regulations and TGD B 2024. This document provides guidance on alternative approaches (to the Technical Guidance Documents) to demonstrating compliance with the Building Regulations. It contains a specific appendix in regard to alternative approaches to compliance with Part B (Fire Safety).

My Department has, through Construct Innovate, commissioned evidence based research to assess the perceived and actual Building Regulation impediments to re-use of existing buildings and develop mitigation recommendations. As part of this project, Irish Green Building Council and UCD (the project partners) are carrying out a review of existing building regulations and Technical Guidance Documents as well as their impact on building re-use in Ireland. The objective of this work is to assess the perceived and actual Building Regulation impediments to re-use of existing buildings and develop mitigation recommendations. A draft report was received by my Department in August 2026 and is being reviewed.

The Housing Plan's new measures build on the significant work that has been done and outcomes achieved over the past number of years, as well as improving and expanding existing schemes. These initiatives are working and vacancy levels are declining across the country.

I firmly believe the commitment Government has made to addressing vacancy and dereliction and the actions under Delivering Homes, Building Communities will continue to play a vital role in delivering homes across the country.