Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has called on the Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien, to urgently review the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant as figures released by the Department of Housing show that just 21 refurbishment grants have been drawn down since the scheme opened in April 2022.
Teachta Ó Broin said:
“Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien launched the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant to great fanfare in April 2022. Since then, he has repeatedly said the scheme is working and is a great success.
“However, the latest figures from the Department of Housing show that the scheme continues to be beset with problems. In the 18 months since, the scheme opened just 21 refurbishment grants have been drawn down.
“Despite these figures being available, Minister O’Brien deliberately left them out from his Q3 housing report published yesterday. Indeed, when asked on RTÉ radio for the number of grants drawn down to date the Minister refused to provide the figure.
“Sinn Féin supports the provision of a vacant and derelict property refurbishment grant. However, the current Government scheme was badly designed and continues to be beset with problems.
“When it was launched last year, Minister O’Brien had not engaged with mortgage lenders. As a result, applicants were unable to draw down their mortgages or grant until issues between the pillar banks and Department of Housing were resolved early this year.
“The scheme has also been heavily criticised by applicants as the grant is paid in arrears, meaning that applicants have to front-up the money and claim the grant after the works have been completed and paid for. In many cases, applicants do not have this cash up front and this is a barrier to accessing the funding.
“The scheme is also chronically underfunded at just €30 million for 2023, and a similar amount for 2024, resulting in an annual target of just over 200 homes to be brought back into use each year.
“Sinn Féin has put forward a much more ambitious proposal for bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. Through increased capital funding to Local Authorities, we want to see up to 4000 vacant and derelict properties bought and refurbished by Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies for social, affordable rental and affordable purchase housing.
“We would also continue the current grant model via local authorities as set out in our alternative budget document published earlier this month.
“Government must be much more ambitious when it comes to tackling dereliction and vacancy. They must also ensure that when they open schemes that they are properly designed. When problems emerge, the Government must be much more responsive to resolve these issues.
“The fact that just 21 grants have been drawn in 18 months demonstrates that, like so much of their housing policy, Darragh O’Brien’s refurbishment grant is not fit for purpose and urgently needs review.”
