Cork County Council receives 10 applications for €30k grant to renovate vacant homes 

Croí Cónaithe scheme can give up to €30,000 to renovate a vacant home and up to €50,000 to renovate a derelict home

The grant is for homes to be renovated to be lived in as a principal residence. Properties which were not previously residential can be included in the scheme. File picture

Cork County Council has received 10 applications so far under the new Croí Cónaithe vacant homes scheme which will give up to €30,000 to renovate a vacant home and up to €50,000 to renovate a derelict home.

The scheme, which was launched on July 14, will allocate grants of up to €30,000 to refurbish vacant properties to be lived in as a principal residence.

Properties which were not previously residential can be included in the scheme.

For derelict properties, where refurbishment costs are expected to exceed €30,000, a top-up grant of up to €20,000 can be obtained.

A property is deemed to be vacant under the scheme if it has been empty for two years or more and was built before 1993.

Cork City Council has not received any applications for the new grant scheme as the first round of funding is aimed at town and village centres, rather than cities and suburbs, Cork City Council said.

Waterford City and County Council has received several enquiries but no take-up so far.

The Department of Housing said it has been “encouraged” by early interest in the scheme which is being administered by each local authority.

Cork anti-dereliction campaigners have welcomed the scheme but warned that “the devil is in the detail”.

Frank O’Connor, who campaigns against dereliction with partner Jude Sherry, said that — although the move was positive — it has been met with scepticism by many would-be buyers.

Some people feel that €30,000 will just be added on to the house price by some sellers, potentially further distorting the market.

A reluctance from banks to issue mortgages on older properties that need work may also be an impediment to the scheme working fully, he said. Introducing other forms of finance, such as credit unions or establishing a State agency to aid with derelict property renovations could help would-be buyers overcome that hurdle, he said.

“It’s a step forward. It’s a recognition that there is an issue that needs to be tackled,” Mr O’Connor said.

“Vacancy is the gateway to dereliction. So tackling vacancy is key."

Some €450m has been allocated for a second scheme called Croí Cónnaithe (Cities) which will help fund the building of apartments for sale to owner-occupiers. Another €50m is designated to support the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) scheme.