Almost €4 million paid out in Laois last year in vacant property grants

Almost €4 million was paid out in Laois last year for Vacant Property Refurbishment Grants.

The grant provides funding to people who wish to refurbish a vacant property with the intention of living in it or renting it.

A maximum of €50,000 is available in funding through this grant and an extra €20,000 is available for properties which are derelict.

The grant is funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage through the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund and people apply through their local authority.

According to Laois County Council's Chief Executive Report for January 2026, there were 72 applications in Laois in 2025 for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant. In total, there have been 278 applications between 2022 and 2025.

There have been 118 grants paid out in the county between 2022 and 2025, with 70 of these alone paid last year.

In total, €3,921,364 was paid in grants in Laois last year. In the last three years, the total value of grants paid in Laois was €6,450,136.

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In December, the Government announced that the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant would be extended in early 2026 to include a Vacant Above the Shop Grant.

People will be able to use this grant to convert vacant spaces above shops and turn them into homes.

If people adapt the space above a shop into more than one home, they may qualify for a larger grant. There is also an additional grant of €5,000 to get expert advice about how to convert these spaces.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme