Sixty-five derelict houses in Waterford refurbished since 2022
Waterford City and County Council's Derelict Site tracker lists 130 properties. Stock image
Sixty-fivederelict Waterford homes have been brought back into use over the past three and a half years, according to new figures from the Department of Housing.
The total cost for the refurbishment of the units was €3.47 million.
The figures also revealed that 359 applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant have been filed since its inaugural rollout in July 2022.
Of those, 214 have been approved.
The grant is available to those turning a vacant house or building into a permanent residence or a rental property.
A base figure of €50,000 is available, and should a refurbishment exceed those costs, a further top-up of €20,000 is accessible.
Q3 of this year saw the highest uptake in Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant payments nationwide, with a total of 760 grants paid.
“These figures clearly demonstrate that the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is playing a key role in tackling vacancy and dereliction, with more and more homes coming back into residential use,” said Minister for Housing James Browne TD.
“Disused properties not only represent missed opportunities to provide much-needed homes, but they also undermine the vibrancy and liveability of our town centres.
“It’s appalling to me personally and I know it is just galling for people who live near them - to see sites in services areas, where councils are tending to roads and nearby amenities.” According to Waterford City and County Council’s derelict site register, there are 130 derelict properties in the county.
