Vacant property owners seek €5.7m

A TOTAL of €5.7m has been received in applications under the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme. 

Carlow County Council has confirmed that its vacant homes officer has received over 100 applications under the scheme. Forty-nine applications have been approved for grant support of over €3.1m, 16 applicants have completed refurbishment works to the value of €902,030 and further information is awaited from the remaining applicants. The scheme provides people with a grant to support the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence, and for properties which will be made available for rent.

A maximum grant of up to €50,000 is available for vacant properties and up to €70,000 for derelict and structurally unsound properties.

Director of services Michael Rainey said that “more than 100 properties will be brought back into use with the Croi Conaithe grant alone”. He advised that in January 2023, the regeneration team carried out a survey of all the main towns and villages in the county. 

“This survey identified 500 vacant and/or derelict properties and to date the team has initiated contact in relation to 420 of these properties. To date, 30 CPOs were commenced in the county, with 12 of these properties now in the official ownership of Carlow County Council.” 

Vacant homes officer Brigid Deenihan said that Carlow County Council’s regeneration office will be hosting drop-in/drop-out information sessions in Carlow, Muinebheag and Tullow to inform members of the public of the various schemes and grants available. Details of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant are available at www.carlow.ie.