Hardware sector welcomes government vacant homes package

Hardware Association Ireland has welcomed the government’s announcement of major changes to the Croí Cónaithe vacant property grant scheme.

The grant will be available for renovations to all homes built before 2007, where previously, it was only available to homes built before 1993.

Another significant change sees the grant becoming available for people renovating vacant homes to be used as rental properties, whereas it is only available to owneroccupied houses under current rules. The grant rates are also going to be increased to meet inflation in the cost of building materials.

Welcoming the government’s announcement, Hardware Association Ireland Chief Executive Martin Markey commented, ‘’This is excellent news from the government and Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien. These are very sensible and substantial changes that will give a major boost to getting more empty homes back into use. We are delighted that the minister and his department are being proactive on the issue of vacant homes, as it has the potential to free up a lot of housing stock, create a lot of jobs, transform rural towns and villages and tackle dereliction in urban areas.’’

Hardware Association Ireland has been intensively campaigning for greater supports for renovating empty homes for the past three years, and many of its proposals were adopted by the government last year. The association is currently preparing to launch revised empty homes proposals in the coming weeks.

Hardware Association Ireland is the representative body for Irish hardware and DIY retailers, builders’ merchants, distributors and manufacturers. It represents over 400 members nationwide and 26,000 staff in the sector.