Total of 45 vacant, derelict Longford properties returned to use with €1.3m funding
A total of 24 applications were received during the first six months of this year with no applications rejected and 21 vacant property refurbishment grants issued
Forty five previously vacant or derelict homes in county Longford have been brought back to use with over €1.3 million in funding to Longford applicants under the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant during the first six months of this year.
The figures, released by the Department of Housing, Local Government, showed that 11 applications were received during the second quarter of this year and 21 applications were approved during the same three-month period.
A total of 86 homes in Longford have been brought back into active use through the scheme since it commenced four years ago.
A breakdown of further 2026 figures shows a total of 24 applications were received during the first six months of this year with no applications rejected and 21 vacant property refurbishment grants issued on completion of works.
Three of those were issued during the second quarter of this year, while 18 were processed between the start of January and the end of March 2026.
The total value of the the grants issued on completion of the works during the first six months of this year was €1,307,100 with €178,400 of that issued during the second quarter of this year and €1,128,76 issued between January and March.
The latest statistics show that 202 applications for the grant have been approved in Longford since the scheme was introduced in July 2022, with €4,901,731 million in funding issued on completion of works.
Under the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, you can receive a payment of up to €70,000 to turn a vacant or derelict house or former commercial building into your permanent home or a rental property.
The grants are paid upon the completion of the works and the submission of the required paperwork demonstrating the work approved has been delivered.
Longford Senator Joe Flaherty has welcomed the latest figures showing that 86 homes in Longford have been brought back into active use through the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant since it was launched four years ago.
The latest statistics show that 202 applications for the grant have been approved in Longford since the scheme was introduced in July 2022, with €4,901,731 million in funding issued on completion of works.
Nationally, the figures show that, on average, six previously vacant properties are being brought back into active use every working day through the scheme.
Fianna Fáil Senator Joe Flaherty said, "These figures show the difference the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is making for families, communities and towns across Longford.
“Every vacant or derelict property that is restored is another home made available at a time when we need to increase housing supply."
"The grant is helping people take on projects that may not otherwise have been financially viable, while also breathing new life into our towns, villages and rural communities."