Over 200 derelict properties in Kildare returned to use
Photo is for illustrative purposes only
235 vacant and derelict properties in Kildare have been brought back into residential use under a Government scheme since 2022, according to new figures.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage published its Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant statistics for the third quarter of 2026 on Tuesday, 20 October.
The scheme supported the refurbishment of 10 vacant and derelict homes between July and September, with 22 grant approvals also issued during that time.
The Department said demand for the scheme remains strong in Kildare, with 493 applications received and 384 approvals granted since its launch in 2022.
More than €13 million of government funding has gone into the scheme in Kildare.
Minister James Browne said:
"Dereliction is a scourge that blights communities, undermines town and village centres, and removes much-needed homes from use, and it is something this Government will not tolerate.
“The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is delivering real results right across Kildare, with more than 230 homes now brought back into use through the scheme. That represents families, homebuyers and renters who now have access to homes that may otherwise have remained vacant, while also helping to revitalise communities.”
Across the country, the scheme has assisted in bringing 7,162 vacant and derelict properties back into use, with €396 million of grant funding provided.
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is one of a number of Government measures aimed at bringing vacant and derelict buildings into use, alongside initiatives such as the CPO Activation Programme and the recently introduced Vacant Above the Shop Grant.
Kildare County Council said in August that it had commenced nine compulsory purchase orders and completed three compulsory acquisitions by that point in 2026 as part of efforts to tackle vacancy and dereliction, under the CPO Activation Programme.
The compulsory acquisition mechanism is used by the council to address long-term vacancy and dereliction where engagement with property owners fails to bring properties back into use. The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, meanwhile, provides funding to help homeowners refurbish vacant or derelict properties for residential use.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
