Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme needs reform, says local election candidate

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme needs to reformed, according to a local election candidate.

Maureen Pigott, a Sinn Féin local election candidates in the Kinnegad electoral area, says that the vacant property refurbishment grant administered by Westmeath County Council and other local authorities is in need of reform to enable more people to avail of it.

Ms Pigott says she has received numerous queries during her ongoing canvas of north Westmeath concerning the scheme, with the main issue being the non availability of the grant until all the refurbishment work has been completed.

She says that the grant, which has a maximum of €50,000 for vacant properties and €70,000 for derelict properties, should be paid in instalments similar to local authorities home build loans.

"According to the most recent statistics issued by the Department of Housing, Heritage, and Local Government to December 31 2023, only one grant has been issued by Westmeath County Council, with a total of 133 applications submitted and 55 applications approved. A total of 6,034 grants have been submitted with 3,166 approvals and 100 grants issued with a total value of €5,083,144 on a nationwide basis.

"The potential of this scheme is considerable in the context of providing additional houses together with rejuvenating rural areas, towns and villages in Westmeath and on a national basis. However, this government has failed abysmally in delivering and promoting this worthwhile initiative.

"Pearse Doherty TD, Sinn Féin spokesperson on finance, raised the failure of this scheme and the need for further amendments to the scheme in the Dáil with the Minister for Finance Michael McGrath in November 2023. He stated that Sinn Fein would increase capital funding to local authorities with an aim of bringing 4,000 vacant and derelict properties a year brought to use for social and affordable housing."