21st October 2025
Chair, Members of the Committee,
Thank you for the opportunity to address you today on the critical issue of bringing Ireland’s
vacant and derelict properties back into productive residential use.
This is a topic that I know professionally, as a Chartered and Registered Quantity Surveyor, and
personally as in addition to co-authoring the SCSI ‘Real Cost of Renovation Report’, I have been
renovating an old barber shop in Dun Laoghaire to be my home.
I am joined by Chartered and Registered Building Surveyor Brigid Browne, who is current chair
and past chair of the Conservation and Building Surveying Committee respectively.
We speak today drawing on the evidence-based findings of the SCSI Real Cost of Renovation
report, which provides comprehensive analysis of the financial, regulatory, and practical
challenges facing this sector.
The scale of vacancy is striking, though difficult to pin down precisely. The latest 2022 Census
data reports 166,000 homes vacant whereas the latest GeoDirectory Residential Buildings
Report in June of this year reports 80,000 vacant and 20,000 as derelict. At a basic level, there is
currently no single national register to accurately track the location, duration, or condition of
these properties, a gap that must be urgently addressed.
The SCSI’s analysis of 20 case studies nationwide reveals the stark financial realities facing those
who wish to renovate. Our study highlighted that only when the Vacant Property Grant including
the Derelict Property Top-Up was increased from the then €50k to now €70k, that a meaningful
impact was made with more projects becoming more financially feasible.
Some of key findings of the Report highlighted that;
- The ownership status of a vacant or derelict building is important in relation to its financial
viability. Those that may need to purchase such a property to renovate will face a much
larger financial challenge in a renovation, especially where a mortgage is required to fund
the project. - Access to funding was cited by 81% of Surveyors as being more difficult when compared
with habitable buildings which indicates greater uncertainty for prospective renovators. - The report also called for a Feasibility Grant to be made available for grant applicants to
help them identify unknown risks and costs of projects, ultimately benefiting the
applicant, the lender (if there is one) and the Exchequer.
Behind each renovation, there is a new homeowner or renter and now that the Vacant Property
Grant scheme is becoming quite successful, SCSI believes that more could be done to encourage
those with underutilised buildings to put them to use or place them on the market for prospective
buyers to purchase and renovated them. SCSI will be conducting new research to examine the
motivations and behaviours of building owners to get a better understanding on the reasons why
so many properties still lie vacant and derelict. SCSI is interested and available to analyse
anonymised grant applications to better understand why almost 14,000 applications received
result in almost 10,000 applications being approved and just 2,800 Vacant Property
Refurbishments Grants being issued.
We also intend to assess the main cost drivers, regulatory challenges and feasibility levels of
renovating much larger buildings including part commercial buildings to multi-unit apartments.
We invite committee members and any government departments that may have buildings for us
to include in our next report for assessment and the opportunity to collaborate in the research.
Despite the various regulatory and financial issues associated with renovating older buildings,
the benefits of prioritising renovations are clear. Renovating existing stock is more sustainable,
supports our climate action goals, and can revitalise town centres, making use of existing
infrastructure and amenities.
There are clear opportunities to;
- Provide a Feasibility Grant similar to that available for Vernacular Structures to reduce
risks and uncertainty facing such projects - Review the Living Cities Initiative Scheme, as the current level of uptate is low
- Produce additional bespoke technical guidance for professionals involved in renovation
projects - Collect key data on projects to improve learnings for policymakers and prospective
renovators
Chair, Members, the renovation of vacant and derelict properties can be challenging and there is
no one measure that will turn the dial in the number of renovations, but it is a vital part of the
solution to Ireland’s housing crisis. With targeted reforms, increased supports, and a coordinated
national approach, we can turn these empty buildings into homes, revitalise our communities,
and make real progress towards our housing and climate goals.
Thank you.