Local TD Denis Naughten has welcomed the announcement that families can now apply for a grant of €30,000 to refurbish a home that has been vacant for two years, with an additional top-up grant of up to €20,000 if the property is derelict.

Up to now this grant was only available for vacant property in towns and villages but it has now been extended to rural areas.

“The €30,000 grant for refurbishing a vacant home was a proposal which I brought to Minister Darragh O’Brien and, to his credit, he has now introduced this new grant scheme which is open to applications for any person who is willing to live in a house that has been vacant for two years, on a permanent basis,” stated Denis Naughten.

“Across Roscommon and East Galway there are an estimated 6,000 vacant homes in our towns, villages and rural areas and with this grant there is an opportunity to bring young families back onto streets and into townlands that have not had a football kicked on them in a generation.

“Not only will this help to ease the housing pressures in the short term but also help to secure the viability of primary schools and other local services, and I want to personally thank Minister O’Brien for taking up this initiative.

“It clearly shows that individual TDs can make a real difference, when they are willing to work with Government Ministers and when Ministers are willing to engage with constructive proposals.”

The application form can be accessed at Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant or on the local County Council website.