Ireland restores over 7,000 vacant homes with Donegal leading
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The Irish government restored 7,162 vacant and derelict properties across Ireland through the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant since the scheme began in 2022.
The program provides financial assistance to people who renovate empty buildings for residential use, and has distributed over €396 million in funding. From July to September, another 809 homes were brought back into use. Donegal County Council restored the most homes with 600 properties, receiving €34.411 million in funding.
Dublin City Council and Cork County Council followed, restoring 554 and 547 homes respectively, supported by €26.829 million and €30.662 million. Minister for Housing James Browne stated the program addresses dereliction that harms communities and reduces available housing. The government also received nearly 20,000 applications for the grant and approved over 15,000.
They are also seeing increased interest in the Vacant Above the Shop Grant, designed to create housing from unused space above businesses, with 78 applications received so far in 2026. Despite the program’s success, some opposition parties like Sinn Féin have raised concerns about applicants needing to cover renovation costs before receiving funding and have suggested staged payments.
