Over €34m spent refurbishing Donegal's vacant and derelict properties
Over 600 Donegal vacant and derelict properties have been put back into use under the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant
The latest figures show that Donegal County Council has the highest number of Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant (VPRG) projects.
The figures, released by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, show that Donegal County Council (DCC) has now brought 600 vacant and derelict properties back into use.
Over €34 million in government funding has been granted by the DCC under the scheme this year.
In this quarter of the year, between July 1, 2026, and September 30, 2026, DCC issued €3,471,379 in grants upon completion of works. During this third quarter, a total of 64 new applications were received, 80 were approved, and 58 grants were paid out following completion of works.
As of this quarter, the DCC has received 1,702 VPRG applications, of which 1,296 have been approved.
Nationally, the VPRG grant has put over 7,000 vacant and derelict properties back into use at a cost of €396 million.
The VPRG is available to those wishing to refurbish a vacant or derelict property into a permanent home or rental property. A grant of up to €50,000 is available to refurbish a property.
If an assessment report and photographic evidence deem a property derelict and structurally unstable or dangerous, a top-up grant of €70,000 is available. The maximum grant rates are increased by 20% for eligible vacant and derelict properties on offshore islands, rising to €60,000 for vacant properties and €84,000 for derelict properties.