MORE THAN 7,000 vacant and derelict properties have been brought back into residential use across Ireland through the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, with Donegal leading the way.

The scheme, first introduced in 2022, provides financial assistance to eligible applicants seeking to refurbish vacant or derelict properties for residential use.

New figures from the Department of Housing for the third quarter of 2026 show that a total of 7,162 properties have been restored through the scheme since its introduction.

This is supported by more than €396 million in grant funding.

The figures also show continued demand for the scheme, with almost 20,000 applications received and more than 15,000 approvals granted to date.

During the third quarter, from July to September, a further 809 vacant and derelict homes were brought back into use.

Donegal County Council recorded the highest number of restored homes under the scheme, followed by Dublin City Council and Cork County Council.

The latest figures show that Donegal had 600 homes restored, supported by €34.411 million in grant funding.

Dublin City had 554 homes restored, supported by €26.829 million.

Meanwhile, Cork has 547 homes restored, supported by €30.662 million.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne said the milestone demonstrated the scheme’s impact in tackling vacancy and dereliction across the country.

“Dereliction is a scourge that blights communities, undermines town and village centres, and removes much-needed homes from use, and it is something this Government will not tolerate”, Browne said.

He said the grant was helping families, homebuyers and renters gain access to homes that might otherwise have remained empty, while supporting the regeneration of towns and villages.

The figures also point to increasing interest in the Vacant Above the Shop Grant, which aims to bring unused upper floors of commercial buildings back into residential use

A further 30 applications were submitted during the third quarter, bringing the total number of applications since the initiative launched earlier in 2026 to 78.

The initiative is intended to help expand housing supply in town centres, making use of existing buildings and supporting the revitalisation of local communities.

Opposition parties have previously been critical of the scheme, with Sinn Féin’s Eoin Ó Broin expressing concern over applicants paying renovation costs upfront.

“People who are approved for the grant will not have the cash upfront to cover the works”, Ó Broin said. 

He has called for staged payments to make the grant more accessible and help bring more vacant and derelict properties back into use.