€24M in grants paid for vacant property refurbs

JUST over €24M has been paid out in Cavan and Monaghan for the restoration of 407 derelict properties.

The money was paid by the respective councils to people to refurbish vacant or derelict homes.

According to the latest available figures up to the end of September this year, since the fund was introduced in 2022, Cavan County Council has paid out just over €11.95M to 211 applicants on completion of works.

Over the same period in Monaghan, the local authority paid out more than €12.22M to 196 homeowners at the end of the third quarter of 2026.

Based on those figures, the average grant amount paid to homeowners across the two counties works out at almost €59,400.

The grant, which is funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage through the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Scheme, can be worth up to €50,000 to renovate a vacant property and €70,000 if the property was also considered derelict (Ts & Cs apply).

The Department stats also show that, since the scheme was launched, 633 people applied for the grant in Cavan, 13 of whom had their applications rejected while others have yet to be processed or drawn down by successful applicants.

In Monaghan, a total of 532 have applied for the funding, 11 of whom were rejected and others outstanding.

Nationally, over 7,000 previously vacant and derelict properties have been restored to residential use through almost €400M in grants.