Rural grant yet to be rolled out 14 months on

A grant to help first-time buyers refurbish derelict buildings in rural villages and towns has yet to be rolled out, more than a year after being announced.

The Government has been accused of failure and lack of commitment by pushing “spin over substance” when it comes to rural Ireland.

A pilot scheme to help families and first-time buyers refurbish vacant properties which blight rural towns and villages was one of the key initiatives in the Government’s multi-million action plan for rural development announced in January of last year. In an interview with the Irish Examiner in December 2016, then Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural, and Gaeltacht Affairs Heather Humphreys said she wanted young families to return to live in rural centres and would be introducing the scheme on a pilot basis.