€14.3 million grant bringing 267 vacant or derelict Galway properties back in use
Galway County Council had drawn down more than €10.4 million in grant aid across 191 completed projects up to the end of September, new figures show
More than €14.3 million has been paid out to bring 267 vacant and derelict properties back into use across Galway city and county under the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, new figures have revealed.
Data published by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage shows that Galway County Council had drawn down more than €10.4 million in grant aid across 191 completed projects up to the end of September.
In Galway city, just under €4 million had been issued on completion of works across 76 properties, delivering an average grant payment of €51,907.
Between the two local authorities, 943 applications have been lodged under the scheme to date. Galway County Council has received 771 applications, approving 571 and rejecting 27, while Galway City Council has received 172 applications, approving 153 and rejecting five.
During the third quarter of 2026, a combined total of €2.25 million was paid out locally upon the completion of works. In the county, 31 grants worth nearly €1.7 million were issued, alongside 26 new approvals and 31 new applications.
In the city, 11 grants worth €578,976 were drawn down following completed renovations, with 24 applications approved and 26 received during the three-month period. Neither authority rejected any applications during the quarter.
Nationally, €396.7 million has been drawn down to fund the completion of 7,162 properties out of 19,986 applications lodged to date. Across the country, 15,380 applications have been approved and 747 rejected.
The grant scheme, funded under the Croí Cónaithe and Towns Fund, provides up to €50,000 to renovate residential buildings that have been vacant for at least two years and were built up to and including 2007.
A top-up of up to €20,000 is available where a property is structurally unsound, dangerous, or listed on the Derelict Sites Register, taking the maximum baseline grant to €70,000.
A 20% uplift applies to qualifying properties situated on designated offshore islands, pushing available supports to €60,000 for vacant homes and up to €84,000 for derelict buildings.
Strict clawback conditions apply to properties funded under the programme, with 100% of the grant repayable if the building is sold or transferred within five years, reducing to 75% between five and 10 years, and expiring entirely after a decade.
The take-up under targeted sub-measures remains minimal in Galway. Under the Vacant Above the Shop Grant scheme, Galway City Council has recorded just one application, which remains unapproved, while Galway County Council has not recorded any applications to date. Neither local authority in Galway has recorded any applications under the Expert Advice Grant.