3,000 VACANT LOCAL authority homes are to be refurbished and re-let around the country under plans by Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien.

All 31 local authorities have applied to take part in the scheme, with the total cost to the Department of Housing set at approximately €44.7 million.

The plan will see the Department of Housing covering the cost of up to €11,000 per house for its refurbishment.

However, O’Brien says that due to a small number of vacant houses that may require significantly more investment than others, local authorities can claim back up to €50,000 for up to 10% of their vacant stock.

This will be approximately 300 homes across the entire country.

While the Department has capped how much money local authorities can claim back, local authorities can fund the renovation of extra houses using their own resources.

O’Brien said that he is delighted to approve the applications from local authorities so that they can bring the houses back into use.

“Following a 13-week construction sector shut-down, we know that COVID-19 will have a significant impact on housing delivery targets and the Government have said we will do all that we can to make up for any loss. The refurbishment and re-letting of vacant social housing stock is vitally important in this regard.”

According to O’Brien, the investment from the Department will add further economic benefit due to employment for local workers like carpenters, builders and electricians.

Dublin City will see the highest amount of investment, with 370 homes to be refurbished under the scheme. 333 of those are standard units, while 37 will require additional investment.

Elsewhere in Dublin, Fingal County Council will be returning 157 houses to use, with 16 of these requiring extra investment to be repaired.

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council will be restoring 68 houses, 7 of which are non-standard and require more investment.

Cork City will have 241 homes refurbished, with 217 of these being standard units compared to 24 units that require additional investment.