Government 'missing opportunity' to increase social housing delivery

The Buy and Renew Scheme operates by allowing local authorities and approved housing bodies to buy up long-term vacant or derelict properties, which they can then refurbish and turn into social housing.

The Government is being accused of missing an opportunity to increase social housing delivery, as some local authorities restore miniscule amounts of vacant and derelict properties.

South Dublin County Council has failed to restore a single property through the Buy and Renew Scheme, which aims to turn vacant and derelict houses into social homes.

Data from the Department of Housing also shows only one property has been restored through the scheme in Sligo, Cavan, and Galway County Councils.

Other parts of the country have been more successful. 

Dublin City Council delivered 153 over the last decade, Limerick restored 149, and Cork 144 across both local authority areas. 

However, pace in Cork has slowed. 

From 2023 to 2025, there were just 31 properties restored across the two local authority areas, 25 in Cork City and six in Cork County.

The scheme operates by allowing local authorities and approved housing bodies to buy up long-term vacant or derelict properties, which they can then refurbish and turn into social housing.

It was recently expanded to allow building contractors acquire and redevelop properties, before being sold on to a council or approved housing body.

In total, there have been 1,310 social homes provided through renovations since the scheme was introduced in 2016.

Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson, Eoin Ó Broin, said while some adjustments to the Buy and Renew scheme were welcome, including moves to include completed restorations as part of new build social housing figures, more needs to be done.

“The problem is, while the minister [James Browne] talks tough on vacancy and derelicts, he’s not following that up with ambitious action and adequate funding,” Mr Ó Broin said.

“That’s why you’re only seeing the very small number of units being brought back into use.”

Mr Ó Broin said there have only been “modest” changes made to the scheme. 

He said the Government now needs to set “ambitious targets” for the restoration of vacant and derelict properties.

“The Government is meant to be delivering 10,000 new build social homes a year. That’s nowhere close to enough, it should be at least 15,000 a year, but a significant percentage of those broke down by each local authority should be from vacant and derelicts.”

He said failing to bring more vacant and derelict properties back into use was a “missed opportunity”, saying that it is typically more cost-effective than building new houses while also addressing issues like urban decay.

Asked about Mr Ó Broin’s criticism of the scheme, a spokesperson for the Department of Housing said there are several schemes in place, including Buy and Renew, which aim to increase social housing while also “working towards ending dereliction and vacancy”.

They said the scheme's expansion would "ensure that more long‑term vacant and derelict properties across the country will be transformed into high‑quality social homes".