Over €8m of grants issued to refurbish Laois homes

Over €8 million has been invested in bringing vacant properties back to life in Laois, according to new figures released from the Department of Housing.

Latest figures reveal 151 Vacant Property Refurbishment Grants were issued in Laois for vacant and derelict properties since the scheme's inception and the value of those grants on completion was €8,246,333.

There have been 317 applications made to Laois County Council, 250 approved and 12 were rejected.

The figures also show there were two applications made in Laois for the vacant above the shop grant from July 1 to September 30 and one was approved.

Nationally, the scheme has now helped bring 7,162 vacant and derelict properties back into use, backed by over €396 million in grant funding. Demand also remains strong, with almost 20,000 applications received and more than 15,000 approvals granted since the launch of the scheme in 2022.

In the third quarter of this year, the scheme maintained its strong performance supporting the refurbishment of 809 vacant and derelict homes between July and September.

The Vacant Above the Shop Grant continued to gain traction in Q3, with 30 additional applications bringing the total submitted since the scheme's launch earlier this year to 78. This reflects increasing interest in town-centre living and the reuse of vacant upper-floor space as a means of expanding housing supply.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne, TD commented on the publication of his Department’s Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant statistics for the third quarter of 2026 on Monday.

Commenting on the latest figures, Minister Browne said: "Dereliction is a scourge that blights communities, undermines town and village centres, and removes much-needed homes from use, and it is something this Government will not tolerate.

“The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is delivering real results right across the country, with more than 7,000 homes now brought back into use through the scheme. That represents thousands of families, homebuyers and renters who now have access to homes that may otherwise have remained vacant, while also helping to revitalise communities.

"It is particularly encouraging to see continued momentum in Vacant Above the Shop applications, which will play a vital role to play in regenerating our towns and villages while providing additional homes in well-serviced locations."

The local authorities with the highest number of restored homes under the scheme since its launch are Donegal, Dublin and Cork.

Donegal County Council has 600 homes brought back into use supported by €34.411 million.

Dublin City Council has brought 554 back into use supported by €26.829 million.

Meanwhile Cork County Council has brought 547 homes back into use supported by €30.662 million in grant funding from the Department.