COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, May 11, 2026

QUESTION NO. 16

QUESTION: Councillor J. Sinnott

To ask the Chief Executive to advise on the drawdown of vacant property refurbishment grants in 2026.

REPLY:

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was launched in 2022 as a financial support to carry out refurbishment works to bring vacant and derelict properties back into use as a principle private residence or rental property. A grant of up to €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of properties that have been vacant for at least two years. A top up grant of an additional €20,000 is available for properties that are deemed to be derelict. We have received 301 Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant applications to date. In total, 124 grants have been processed for payment to date in the amount of approx. €6.2m broken down as follows:

Year

No of grants paid

Total Amount

2024

37

€1,866,101.16

2025

60

€2,983,818.56

2026

27

€1,349,675.73

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne has recently announced new funding including the Vacant Above the Shop Grant, aimed at unlocking unused spaces in cities, towns, and villages by converting vacant and derelict buildings and unused above the shop areas into residential homes.

The Vacant Above the Shop Grant supports the refurbishment or conversion of vacant space above existing commercial premises to create new homes, while retaining the commercial element of the building. The upper floors of the property must have been vacant for at least two years with grant funding of up to €95,000 available for the refurbishment/conversion of the first above the shop unit, with additional funding of up to €20,000 for a second unit and a further €20,000 where three or more units are created, subject to a maximum of €135,000 per building. Completed units may be used as a principal private residence or made available for rent.

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is being expanded to support bringing more vacant and derelict properties into use as homes. This includes the provision of top-up amounts to existing grant levels where vacant former commercial/public use buildings are being converted in their entirety into two or more residential units.

The Expert Advice Grant has also been made available to support owners in advance of applying for the Vacant Above the Shop Grant by providing up to €5,000 towards the cost of professional advice on conversion of above the shop spaces and of entire former commercial properties to residential units. The grant applies to vacant above-the-shop properties and former commercial or public use buildings and supports the preparation of an Expert Advice Report to help progress properties towards residential use.

Further information about all the grants and schemes available to bring vacant and derelict properties back into use including frequently asked questions and application forms are available on the Council’s website Vacant Homes - SDCC.