*Pictured: Minister James Browne (FF)
A MOTION by cllr. Conor Ryan (FG) called on the Wexford minister to extend the timescale allowed for completion of works from the current 13 months to 18 months.
At a recent meeting of Clare County Council, the O’Callaghan’s Mills representative also proposed to “further expand the scope of the grant by relaxing the eligibility criteria to include prospective purchasers who, due to the current housing crisis, are required to reside in the historically vacant property once acquired”.
This motion was subsequently forwarded on to the office of the Housing Minister, with the local authority receiving a response on the 25th of May.
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant provides a grant of up to €50,000 for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent.
A top-up grant of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed to be derelict, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000.
The office responded to the motion by stating it was the decision of local authorities whether or not to grant extensions, writing “A 13 month period for completion of works was introduced in May 2023, with the objective of supporting the timely delivery of refurbished properties for homes. This approval period applied only to applications made after 1 May 2023”.
“If an applicant is experiencing particular issues, which means that they cannot complete the works applied for under the grant within the 13 month period of grant approval, the Local Authority may consider and grant an extension of the approval period at their discretion”, the letter continued.
The letter did make reference to new additions to the Vacant Properties Refurbishment Scheme which has cllr. Ryan’s desired timeline of 18 months.
The letter stated that “New scheme documents were prepared and published with a combined Scheme Outline for the existing VPRG and Conversion of Commercial Buildings which states that applicants have a period of 18 months to complete works”.
“A new application form for the existing VPRG is being designed and will be available in the coming weeks to replace the current VPRG application form” it finished.
