Almost €1.5-million to bring vacant social homes back into use across Tipperary

Tipperary Fianna Fáil TD Ryan O’Meara has welcomed the allocation of €1,439,380 to bring vacant social homes back into use across Tipperary.

The funding forms part of a wider national package announced by Housing Minister James Browne. The €40 million investment will support the refurbishment of approximately 2,200 local authority homes nationwide so they can be returned to active use.

The allocation represents a 29% increase compared with last year’s funding and has been announced alongside a new model for the Voids Programme.

Under the revised approach, future funding will be linked to local authority performance, with a strong emphasis on reducing vacancy levels and improving turnaround times.

By 2027, local authorities will be expected to achieve a vacancy rate target of 2% and a maximum average turnaround time of 18 weeks. Further reductions are planned in the following years, with targets of 15 weeks in 2028 and 12 weeks in 2029.

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Local authorities that meet these targets will be eligible to receive full funding under the revised model.

Speaking following the announcement, Deputy O’Meara said:

“Increasing housing supply is at the core of tackling the housing crisis, and no potential home should be left sitting idle.

“Today’s measures are focused on bringing social homes back into use by providing the funding needed to bring vacant properties up to the standard required to house families.

“The new vacancy and turnaround time targets will ensure properties spend less time empty and more time providing security and stability for those who need them most.

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“Targeted schemes like this help ensure we are making better use of the homes we already have and delivering housing to people sooner.”

Since the commencement of the Voids Programme in 2014, €385 million has been invested to return 27,860 homes to active use.