County spend on vacant grant more than double that of city

Cork County Council has issued 111% more under the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant (VPRG) than Cork City Council so far in 2026.

Cork County Council has issued €30,662,266 under the scheme, while Cork City Council has issued €14,562,936, a difference of €16,099,330.

There have been 1,345 applications approved by Cork County Council and 567 approved by Cork City Council.

The proportion more or less the same when just the current financial quarter is analysed - Cork County Council issued 131% more between July and September this year than Cork City Council. Both councils have approved 51 applications each in that time.

So far this year Cork County Council is second in terms of money issued under the scheme, falling behind only Donegal County Council, who have issued €34,411,442. Cork City Council is in eleventh place out of 31 local authorities.

However, it has caught up when just the current quarter is taken, placing seventh, with Cork County Council once again taking the second place spot, this time behind Dublin City Council's €5,290,129 between July and September.

Mary Conway, Chairperson of the Irish Property Owners Association (IPOA) said that the the figures showed a "clear appetite" among property owners for bringing vacant homes back into use, but that the scheme was still out of reach for many property owners.

"The problem is that property owners must fund renovation costs themselves and wait until the work is completed to receive the grant. With costs running from €50,000 to €70,000, that is a significant barrier, even for those who have been approved," she said.

She highlighted other programs in Europe, such as in France and in Germany, which offer a mixture of tax breaks and low-interest loans coupled with grants as examples which the Government should follow.

"If the Government is serious about tackling vacancy and increasing housing supply, it needs to make Ireland's scheme work in practice. That means access to upfront financing, opening the scheme to corporate ownership structures, and introducing more flexible incentives.

"The appetite is there. We need a scheme that helps property owners turn vacant buildings into homes, not one that leaves them with an approval they cannot afford to act on," she said.

The VPRG provides grants of up to €50,000 for those looking to redevelop properties which have been provably vacant for at least two years, and which they intend to use as either a primary residence or a rental property.

If costs of renovation exceed €50,000, a top-up grant of €20,000 is available.

This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.