Donegal allocated €4 million for refurbishment of vacant and derelict properties

Donegal County Council has received €4 million in funding to transform residential and commercial vacant and derelict properties. 

The funding is provided for the purchase price of properties and any minor works required to make the property more suitable for sale, e.g., improving access, tidying up, opening up to facilitate inspections, etc. 

The update provided today shows that  46 vacant and derelict properties have been identified and granted approval under the scheme with the potential to provide a residential yield of 141 homes.

Acquired properties are then offered for private sale to those who in return will commit to bringing the property back into residential use. Purchasers of these properties are also able to defray the costs of returning them to use by accessing the Vacant and Derelict Property Refurbishment Grant, the SEAI energy efficiency grants or the Repair and Leasing Scheme subject to eligibility.

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien TD has updated Cabinet on the third call under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF).

The third round of URDF was announced in January last year and was specifically targeted at addressing long-term vacancy and dereliction across cities and towns and at the provision of residential accommodation.

Nationally, 1,224 vacant and derelict properties in URDF areas have been identified and approved under the scheme and that the estimated residential yield from these properties is 5,406 homes. To date €142.5M has been allocated across all 31 Local Authorities under Call 3.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien TD said, “This Government have placed a huge emphasis on the regeneration and rejuvenation of towns all across the country and as I travel around both Donegal and Ireland it’s heartening to see the impact of the various initiatives which are underway to transform towns and cities.”

“The URDF has been a real game-changer for our towns and cities, breathing new life into towns across making them even better places to work in, to live in and to visit. Urban regeneration isn’t a luxury, but a real necessity for the beating heart of our urban centres and I’m delighted to see it in action across so many counties.

 “The most sustainable buildings we have are the ones which already exist and Call 3 under the URDF is ensuring we put them to their best use. The URDF is evidence of this Government’s commitment to improving quality of life in urban centres, making them more accessible, inclusive and liveable for all.”