From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
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'Housing for All’ is the government’s housing plan to 2030. The plan sets out four pathways to a sustainable housing system. Pathway four, ‘Pathway to Addressing Vacancy and Efficient use of Housing Stock’ seeks to ensure through a range of incentives and other measures that existing housing stock is utilised to the fullest extent possible. This will, in turn, help revitalise our cities, towns and villages. More information on pathway four can be found on the Housing for All website .
‘Town Centre First – A Policy Approach for Irish Towns’, is the government’s overarching policy for the renewal and regeneration of Irish towns. It is a major new strategy that features a range of measures and supports aimed at making towns and villages more viable and attractive places, whilst ensuring they are social, cultural, recreational and services hubs for their local community. It contains 33 specific actions which will give our towns the tools and resources they need to achieve important national objectives such as social and economic revival in towns, the provision of housing and addressing challenges like vacancy and dereliction.
The policy is underpinned by multiple existing and future multi-billion euro investment programmes such as the:
In Phase 1 of the policy, a Town Centre First Plan is being developed in 26 towns/villages around the country in conjunction with a local Town Team comprised of representatives of local residents, business people, community/ voluntary groups and other stakeholders. This Town Team is being supported by their local authority through a new dedicated Town Regeneration Officer. The Town Centre First Plan will focus on identifying local projects and initiatives that can be actioned to make their area a better place to live, work, visit and run a business.
If you live or have a business in one of the 26 towns/ villages (named on the link to the policy, below), are passionate about its future and would like to be part of the Town Team, please contact Mairead Hunt, National Town Centre First Office at tcf@lgma.ie who can put you in touch with your local Town Regeneration Officer.
See the full Town Centre First Policy .
The Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund is delivered by local authorities and provides new choices for people to turn a formerly vacant house or building into their principal private residence. It funds two schemes:
The Fund is targeted to deliver some 2,000 homes by 2025.
A major programme of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) will be introduced by local authorities. It is expected that local authorities will purchase vacant properties through their compulsory purchase powers, even when these dwellings are not suitable for social housing.
Local authorities will also use the existing Buy and Renew Scheme and Repair and Leasing Scheme to maximise opportunities to return vacant properties to productive use. This programme will be supported by a bridging finance facility from the Housing Finance Agency for property acquisitions.
A central advisory service is being established in The Housing Agency to assist local authorities with the new CPO programme. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is providing additional funding to local authorities to ensure their Vacant Homes Officers positions are full-time. These officers are responsible for driving this programme forward.
Under the Derelict Sites Act 1990 , local authorities are responsible for dealing with derelict sites in their area. They can use certain powers to enforce the clean-up of these sites.
Under the Act, local authorities can:
All local authorities must:
It is open to any person to contact a local authority in relation to a particular site which may be considered a derelict site.
The Minister for Finance announced the introduction of a Vacant Homes Tax (VHT) in his Budget statement on 27 September 2022. The tax came into effect in 2023.
The primary purpose of this new tax is to increase the supply of homes for rent or purchase to meet demand. The tax will be applied to residential properties that are occupied as a dwelling for less than 30 days in a 12-month period.
A number of exemptions are available.
The tax will be charged at a rate of three times the basic rate of Local Property Tax (LPT) applying to the property. VHT will be a self-assessed tax.
The Vacant Homes Action Plan outlines progress in implementing actions relating to vacancy and efficient use of existing stock contained in Housing for All, the Government’s housing plan to 2030.
The Action Plan reports on the progress that has been made and delivered to date. It also identifies the actions to be pursued in order to continue to return as many recoverable vacant properties back to viable use as possible, increase the supply of housing available, whilst also revitalising the vibrancy of local communities.
