Mayo call to increase vacant homes grant

AMOUNTS payable under the vacant and derelict homes grants need to be increased, alongside staged payments to recipients.

The request comes from the Mayo Housing Strategic Policy Committee where Councillor Neil Cruise said the grants of €50,000 and €70,000 respectively needed to be revised upwards to €100,000 and €120,000.

This has been a very successful scheme, Councillor Cruise noted, but the sums paid out are 'a little bit behind the times' given the prices people are paying for properties and to have work done.

Any upward revision is a government decision but the committee agreed to send a request to increase the value of the grants and also to pay them in stages to recipients.

Councillor Michael Kilcoyne agreed that payments in phases would make a big difference.

At the moment funds aren't paid out until the money is spent. However, a lot of people, after buying a property, find themselves in a situation where don't have the money to spend on it.

Under Croí Conaithe, 478 grants have been approved in Mayo, with 100 issued and 137 in progress.

The Housing Minister is considering the matter of allowing staged payments.