Derelict home scheme payment delays driving builders away

They have also asked council officials to add more personnel to the team in County Hall which deals with applications to speed up their processing

'We need to get more staff (in our legal department) to process them,” Fine Gael councillor Michael Creed said. “Builders are not taking on these jobs anymore as they’re not being paid on time.' Picture: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

The success of a government scheme aimed at helping people to renovate derelict homes is in jeopardy because grant approvals and payouts are taking so long builders will not take on these jobs.

Cork county councillors are to write to the Department of Housing and Local Government & Heritage seeking urgent amendments to the Croí Cónaithe Grant Scheme, including allowing applicants to receive stage payments.