John Cummins
Waterford · Fine Gael · Ireland
“To ensure a structured and comprehensive examination of the issues, the task force was organised under four work themes: structures, funding, functions and governance and accountability within the local government sector.”
“At the outset, I thank Senator Fitzpatrick for raising this important issue this morning. I am acutely aware of the strong interest that exists within this House in matters relating to local government.”
“Engagement took place with a wide range of organisations and representative bodies, including employer and employee representatives, community and voluntary organisations, academic experts and other key stakeholders.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) Regulations 2026, Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 2) Regulations 2026, Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No.”
“In that context, I welcome the opportunity to address the House and to provide an update on the progress made today in advancing that recommendation and strengthening local democracy more generally.”
“The task force was charged with delivering its report within the challenging timeframe of six to nine months. However, considerable preparatory work already completed across the sector provided a strong foundation and enabled that timeline to be achieved. The task force, as the Senator rightly pointed out, was chaired by Mr.”
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“Regarding Rathdowney, I will go into further details in my follow-up comments but my understanding is Laois County Council has indicated this is now its number one priority to progress and that, in December of last year, it submitted an updated preliminary appraisal for the proposed new fire station at Rathdowney, noting several issues with the existing station, some of which the Senator identified in her opening comments.”
“The council was approved to tender for design consultants for the project in March 2023 and, in September of this year, the council was approved to invite tenders for the construction phase of the Stradbally fire station project. My Department officials are working with Laois County Council to progress that fire station in Stradbally and I understand the council's intention is to publish that tender request before the end of the year.”
“The Senator said in her initial comments that Laois County Council has consistently put the Rathdowney fire station forward as its number one project but the information I have to hand here is that, at that time, Laois County Council put forward the Stradbally fire station as its number one priority, with the replacement of the Rathdowney fire station as its second priority. While the fire station in Stradbally was not initially included in the Department's fire service capital programme for 2021 to 2025, it subsequently was included following a reappraisal. Since then, approval in principle for a new fire station at Stradbally was conveyed to the council in November 2022.”
“In December 2020, the then Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, announced the fire service capital programme for the period 2021 to 2025, with a funding allocation of €61 million. Following an extensive engagement with fire authorities, a number of proposals for station works were received. The proposals were then evaluated and prioritised on a basis of area risk categorisation of the fire station, which includes population, fire risk and so on, established health and safety needs, the state of the development of the project, value for money offered by the proposal and the totality of requests from all local authorities.”
“The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for equipment and priority infrastructural projects. Project consideration stages from a Department perspective include: submission of preliminary and detailed appraisals; submission of a design brief; selection of a site; application of approval in principle; appointment of design consultants; submission of a preliminary design planning application; submission of a preliminary cost plan; detailed design and cost plans; and a tender process. As the Senator will appreciate, there are a significant number of stages to progressing a project.”
“I thank the Senator very much for raising this important matter. At the outset, I acknowledge the fantastic work that is done by fire service personnel across this country day in, day out. When there are emergencies that most people run away from, they run towards them. I put on record my thanks to them for their fantastic work. Obviously, ensuring firefighters have the appropriate facilities is a priority of Government. I will add a few pieces later but, to give context to my response, the provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual local authorities under the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003.”
“I assure him we are prioritising the applications in front of us under the compensation scheme. I suggest that if the Deputy formally writes to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, and the Minister, Deputy Browne, we can get an official response to the comments he has raised.”
“All I can do is take back what the Deputy has said to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, and the Minister, Deputy Browne. I cannot give an indication of whether an application, if made, would be accepted. That would have to go through, I assume, an assessment process. It is not within my remit so I am not fully au fait with the process that would be involved. I re-emphasise that we are trying to progress the 118 applications still in the system and that €7.3 million has been paid out to 329 families under the scheme. I appreciate the comments the Deputy has made. I understand the importance of this from the cultural, economic and ecological points of view. The strategy to protect raised bogs dates back to 1999, long before either of us was involved in politics. I will take the Deputy's comments back to both Ministers.”
“The protected raised bog restoration incentive scheme is also available to landowners who wish to have their lands included as part of that scheme.”
“I understand that since 2011, no planning application for turf extraction has been made on Ardgraigue, Barroughter or Cloonmoylan and no formal request for ministerial consent has been received. It is a criminal offence subject to prosecution to extract turf without the required ministerial consent or relevant statutory consent or both. Extensive supports have been put in place to assist turf cutters on these sites. The cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme compensates households affected by restrictions on turf cutting for domestic use on raised bog special areas of conservation. To date, the Department has paid out over €7.3 million to 329 families who had been cutting turf on the three bogs in question and is processing a further 118 applications.”
“It also announced that commercial turf cutting would cease on certain SACs and that a ten-year derogation was given for domestic turf cutting. At the end of this derogation, following extensive stakeholder consultation, the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme was launched in 2011. The scheme was advertised again in 2024, closing to new applicants in 2025. These raised bog SACs are included in European sites as identified by the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011. Statutory instruments for each site further affirm their protected status. The cutting of turf may not be carried out or caused to be carried out or continued to be carried out on these plots by any person save in accordance with the provisions of regulation 30 of the 2011 regulations or with the consent of the relevant authority or both.”
“The EU habitats directive requires member states to select sites for the protection of habitats that are considered threatened, including active raised bog, which is considered to be in danger of disappearing within the EU territory. Ireland has selected 63 sites for the protection of active raised bog habitats, including Ardgraigue, Barroughter and Cloonmoylan bogs, and has designated these bogs as special areas of conservation. This protects approximately 9% of our original raised bog resource. The Government adopted a clear long-term strategy to protect these sites. In 1999 the Government announced arrangements for the cessation of turf cutting on raised bog special areas of conservation, and a compensation package, including for the three bogs the Deputy referenced, was outlined.”
“I thank Deputy O’Hara for raising this important matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, and the Minister, Deputy Browne. The bogs at Ardgraigue, Barroughter and Cloonmoylan are special areas of conservation in the Deputy's county of Galway. I reaffirm the Government's commitment to protecting Ireland’s valuable peatlands and to working with all stakeholders. As the Deputy will be aware, peatlands are of cultural, economic and ecological importance to Ireland and are profoundly significant for our communities and our history. They are a cornerstone of many communities; a source of heating, as the Deputy pointed out; a way of passing on knowledge; and a deeply held right for many families.”
“I thank Senators for their attention to this albeit short but important Bill over the past couple of days to ensure that we have an increase in the statutory borrowing limit from €12 billion to €13.5 billion, which I am advised will facilitate the construction of an additional 5,500 homes by approved housing bodies across the country. It is a very significant albeit short piece of legislation. I thank the House for its consideration.”
“While understanding the thrust of what the Senator trying to achieve, I think he will see from what I have set out, the challenges of the amendment and what it would mean for the HFA in terms of advancing the required capital to approved housing bodies to do the job it is doing, while also adding an administrative burden that we want to try to reduce and streamline from a Government perspective.”
“The Housing Finance Agency, in and of itself, does not lend to local authorities for social housing as this is grant-funded in full from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The HFA engages regularly with local authorities, both individually and through representative bodies to ensure they are aware of financing opportunities where they arise. Additional mandated quarterly consultations would duplicate existing efforts and add administrative burden, potentially diverting focus from core lending and financial operations requiring annual review and Ministerial approval, introduce additional bureaucracy, which would result in delays to lending, slow down the delivery of homes by other delivery partners, and reduce the HFA’s ability to be responsive to urgent housing needs. Consequently, I have to oppose the amendment.”
“I thank Senator Conway. Unfortunately, I have to oppose the amendment he has tabled as local authorities are subject to an annual borrowing cap of €118 million, which is set by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and reserving €300 million, or 20% of the proposed €1.5 billion as is set out for in this legislation, for smaller authorities would exceed this cap and create a misalignment of existing financial controls. Demand from local authorities for HFA lending does not reach the level suggested in 2025 to date, with €39 million being lent to 28 local authorities. This suggests that the proposed reservation would almost certainly go unused, leading to inefficient capital allocation and inadequate availability for approved housing bodies.”
“The follow-on awarding of veterinary, medicine and pharmacy degree programmes show his commitment to the development of education across our regions. As Taoiseach, Simon continued to show empathy, sensitivity and humanity. The Minister, Deputy Burke, referenced his decision to issue a formal State apology to the victims of the Stardust tragedy on behalf of the Irish people. As Tánaiste, he has acted with distinction on the world stage at some of the most critical times for Europe and the world. Simon Harris has shown time and time again that his leadership is about service to the people of Ireland and I have full confidence in his ability as Tánaiste.”
“When the system said "No", Simon Harris said "Yes" because he knew it was the right thing to do and had the courage to do it. This has enabled cardiac services to expand at UHW with the final steps to 24-7 cardiac care under way. As Minister for further and higher education, Simon again brought that same determination and focus to inclusion. He prioritised advancing opportunities for people with additional needs, ensuring they could continue their educational development in the same way as their peers. He also placed relentless focus on apprenticeships, ensuring students who wished to pursue that pathway were not made to feel inferior to those who wished to pursue a third level education. Simon was also the Minister who delivered a university to Waterford in the south east after many years of campaigning.”
“I have known Simon Harris since we were both approximately 19 years of age. Even then, before he entered politics, you could tell he was someone different, someone with a genuine desire to make a difference. It has always been obvious that Simon got involved in public life because he cared and was committed to helping others. As Minister for Health, Simon Harris took on one of the toughest jobs in politics, progressing the likes of free GP care, expanding the HPV vaccination programme and securing access to life-changing cystic fibrosis drugs. His decision to approve a second cardiac cath laboratory at University Hospital Waterford, UHW, will have a profound and lasting impact on patients across the south east of this country.”
“As the Minister said, there were 650 submissions to this review and the report is due to be published shortly. I will conclude as I started by acknowledging the hurt and trauma experienced by homeowners in affected parts of the country through no fault of their own. That trauma is real and I acknowledge that. I cannot imagine my own home being in that circumstance. That is why the Government moved to set up this scheme. I appreciate all of the comments that have been made by Members in the House today and assure them that the Minister will continue to work with all stakeholders in relation to any further legislative change in this area.”
“Section 51 of the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 mandates that the Minister commence a review of the operation of the Act by June 2026, three years after the commencement of the Act. It further mandates that he make a report to each House of the Oireachtas regarding the findings and conclusions of such a review within a further 12-month period. Furthermore, a review of the operation of the Act is required within three months of the completion of any review of IS 465:2018 by the National Standards Authority of Ireland. A report to each House of the Oireachtas of the findings and conclusions resulting from that review is required not later than three months after the completion of the review.”
“An implementation steering group for the DCB grant scheme comprising officials from the relevant local authorities, the Department, the Housing Agency, and the homeowners' liaison officer was set up in 2023. This group meets every four to six weeks and keeps the operation of the DCB scheme under continuous review. The most recent engagement took place last month and the group is due to meet again in the coming week or so. The group has given some valuable insights into how the scheme is working. It has helped to identify areas to improve scheme implementation, some of which have already been actioned and some more of which may yet be covered by upcoming primary legislative change.”
“A building standards agency will be established under the Local Government (Corporate Bodies) Act pending the establishment of a building standards regulatory authority. As the Minister outlined earlier, the Government continuously monitors the manner in which the DCB scheme operates. Engagement with all stakeholders, including homeowner representatives, has been regular and extensive and this will continue where needed over the lifetime of the scheme. The Minister shared his own personal experience of visiting Donegal earlier this year where he saw at first hand the hardship and trauma that many Members of this House have described today.”
“The Government is also very cognisant of the need to ensure that everything that can be done is done so that the situation that has arisen in parts of this country because of defective building material never happens again. The programme for Government commits to the establishment of a building standards regulatory authority. It is intended that it will be an independent central competent authority with the powers of a national building control authority and national market surveillance authority for construction products. The authority will act as a centre of best practice driving, promoting and fostering compliance, competency and consistency in building control and market surveillance systems and throughout the construction industry.”
“The Department of housing has engaged proactively with the financial sector, including banks and insurance companies, on the interaction of the DCB scheme with their services. Banks and insurance companies have clearly stated that homes certified as being remediated under the DCB scheme will be treated in the same manner as all other homes. The Banking and Payments Federation Ireland, BPFI, chairs a forum which brings together various stakeholders including the banking industry, engineers, construction, insurance and the legal sector. Department officials keep in regular contact with the BPFI and recently presented to this forum. The Department stands ready to assist as and when appropriate.”
“While remaining focused on ensuring that homes in the current counties in the scheme are fixed, the Government has also been willing to adapt the response when other issues arose. The Act when originally implemented covered only the counties of Donegal and Mayo. Since then, the Government has added a further three counties, Clare, Limerick and Sligo, and other local authorities may also soon join the scheme as we seek to ensure that all those who need our help get it, regardless of where they happen to live. I would like to take the opportunity to specifically address some of the elements of the motion that the Minister may not have had the opportunity to deal with in the time afforded to him.”
“As we speak now, almost 3,000 homeowners are at various stages of the DCB grant scheme process. The Minister provided a detailed breakdown of that in his opening statement. Furthermore, following extensive consultation with local authorities and approved housing bodies, the Minister will shortly bring forward a DCB social homes scheme, as provided for under the legislation, to facilitate the remediation of social housing affected by defective concrete blocks. A number of Deputies raised this particular matter in their contributions and I assure them that this will start the process of remediation for more than 1,000 social homes across the country, which I know will be welcomed by all Members of this House.”
“The new enhanced DCB scheme has been open for applications now for just over two years. The Government put it in place in order to assist homeowners to remediate damage caused by the use of defective concrete blocks. The primary focus of the current enhanced scheme remains the remediation of family homes with priority being assigned to those most severely impacted by block defects. Many colleagues here will know that significant improvements were brought forward in the current incarnation of the scheme, not least of which was the significant additional levels of funding for all eligible expenditure. The Government is committed to fully funding all eligible expenditure under the scheme. This is estimated to cost the State in excess of €2.2 billion, excluding inflation, and is expected to help in excess of 7,500 households.”
“I thank colleagues for their important contributions here today. I echo many of the comments made by the Minister, Deputy Browne, when he emphasised this Government's commitment and determination to tackle the challenges faced by homeowners living with the scourge of defective concrete blocks. I cannot imagine what it must be like for people to see the home they have built, and all the memories that go with that, continuing to weaken over time. The trauma which many Deputies have described in their statements is real and as a Government Minister, I acknowledge that. While I agree that there is still much to be done, I do not think that some of the views put forward today by the Opposition are a fair reflection of the efforts and progress being made by a large number of key stakeholders across the system.”
“We are also now allowing surplus local authorities to retain a greater proportion of that surplus for their own use, which will increase their yield and help them contribute to vital programmes. The Minister, Deputy Browne, referenced the derelict property tax. I will be very clear. The Government will not tolerate the continued dereliction and vacancy rates across this country. Local authorities have a role to play in identifying those. Through the derelict property tax announced in yesterday's budget, the Government is sending a very clear message that if people are not going to use the significant schemes it has put in place in recent years, they will be liable for this tax going forward, which is expected to be at a rate of at least 7%.”
“On local government as a whole, in recognition of the continued critical importance of its role in delivering services for our citizens, the Exchequer will make a significant contribution of €670 million to the sector in 2026 through the Local Government Fund, representing an increase of €80 million on 2025. The contribution from central government will also fund €110 million towards local property tax equalisation to ensure that all local authorities, including those with weaker property tax bases, have a minimum level of non-programme funding available to them. I am pleased to confirm that any benefits from the LPT revaluation will go directly to the communities in which they are collected by way of a baseline increase expected to be in the region of €42 million.”
“I am happy to say to the House that an coimisiún has reduced the cases on hand from nearly 3,700 in May 2023 to approximately 1,350 cases in July of this year. All large-scale residential development applications have met their statutory objective period of 16 weeks since last September. In relation to local authority planning resources and supports, an additional €1 million has been made available to continue the progress made to date in delivering under the ministerial action plan on planning resources. This will be kept under review going forward.”
“Of course, the implementation of the national development plan and the national planning framework will rely heavily on our planning system. We have heard loud and clear the need to resource and staff both An Coimisiún Pleanála and local authorities even further so they can achieve what the Government is asking them to do. An additional €7 million is being made available to An Coimisiún Pleanála to support its continued transformation. A new governing board has been established and a full complement of staff is being onboarded and supported. This funding will support the digital transformation project within an coimisiún as well as the introduction of statutory decision-making timelines in line with the Planning and Development Act 2024.”
“As the Minister, Deputy Browne, has outlined, there has been a very significant package of measures announced yesterday to accelerate the delivery of housing and this will be built upon further in the housing plan, which will be published in the coming weeks. I would like to take a few moments to talk through a few of the areas within my own delegated functions. These are local government and planning programmes, which combined will receive a total funding increase of €236 million across current and capital for 2026. There has rightly been a significant focus on planning in recent months as it is the engine that drives delivery. We are acutely aware of the frustrations in the system. We are working to cut red tape and simplify the process in removing items that do not need to be planning system through exempted development.”
“It is the intention that local authorities will still have a significant role to play in the context of the new derelict sites tax by creating the register that Revenue will implement. There has been an issue in collecting the existing levy. That is why we are moving to introduce it as a tax that will be collected by Revenue. We encourage people to use the supports there and if they do not use them, the stick of the derelict property tax is coming.”
“As Deputy O'Connell, in budget 2026, the living city initiative, which is a tax relief, can be claimed and extended to other counties, as well as improving the level of support that is being provided through the scheme. We also made provision for a derelict property tax in the budget. As stated earlier, we have such a broad range of schemes providing the carrot to bring those vacant and derelict properties back into productive use for housing purposes, and if people are not going to use those carrots, the stick of the derelict property tax is coming. I encourage people to work with local authorities to use those schemes and bring those properties back into productive use, because what frustrates people most is seeing vacant and derelict properties across this country during a time of such need.”
“About 55% of the national total of repair and lease units in the country have been delivered in Waterford, with one- and two-bedroom properties in town and city areas providing much-needed homes for families. I want to see more local authorities availing of that scheme. Planning exemptions are available for the conversion of certain vacant commercial properties into residential use, which are proving successful. In 2024 alone, more than 290 exemption notifications for more than 700 homes were provided, the highest yearly total since their introduction. This was extended to include former vacant pubs a couple of years ago. It is the intention to extend those exemptions further through the exempted development.”
“The grant has been and continues to be successful in bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use and in making the refurbishment of these properties an affordable option for buyers across the country. It acts as a significant support for younger persons who are starting out on the property ladder. A wide range of other schemes are in place that also support the refurbishment and conversion of older buildings for housing. The repair and lease scheme provides an interest-free loan of up to €80,000 per home delivered to support the refurbishment and conversion of vacant buildings for use as social housing. This is a scheme that is increasingly used to renovate vacant commercial premises, including above the shop. There has been a huge positive impact from this scheme in my constituency of Waterford.”
“This is a grant that can provide up to €50,000 towards the refurbishment of vacant properties for use as homes and up to €70,000 where that property is derelict. To the end of June, more than 13,700 grant applications have been received across the country. Almost 10,000 have been approved and more than 2,800 grants have been paid, amounting to over €155 million. My Department publishes data on the grant on its website on a quarterly basis, providing a breakdown by local authority area. I will arrange to have the link to this published data circulated. A comprehensive review of the vacant property refurbishment grant was undertaken in 2024. That review considered all aspects of the scheme. The findings of this review have been considered in the context of the development of the new housing plan, which will be published shortly.”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 14, 15, 21, 83, 105 and 112 together. As I said in my previous reply, this Government is committed to tackling the issue of vacancy and dereliction. The vacant homes action plan published in January 2023 sets out a range of measures and actions being pursued to return vacant and derelict properties to use as homes. In March, the Minister, Deputy Browne, and I published the 2025 progress report, which shows the significant progress that is being made. It is available on my Department's website. One of the key measures in the action plan is supporting the refurbishment of older, vacant and derelict properties using the vacant property refurbishment grant.”
“As the Deputy will know, a significant scheme, namely the home energy upgrade loan scheme, is in place. It was launched last year and is used to provide loans of between €5,000 and €75,000 at levels significantly below prevailing interest rates in order to try to address the scale of the challenge that has been identified in the ESRI report. As stated, four in five rental properties are below a B rating. We are keeping this under review. I do not have a date for the Deputy for this. I stress again that we have to strike a balance between ensuring that we have an adequate supply of rental properties in the market and trying to increase the energy efficiency of those rental properties to ensure that renters have an adequate and warm home to live in.”
“I cannot give the Deputy a date for that. The matter is being kept under active review. We have obviously enhanced the measures to try to improve the BERs relating to our rental stock. The Deputy is right to say that the ESRI has completed valuable work on this matter. It has stated that four in five rented dwellings currently have BERs below B and the estimated cost of upgrading the housing stock in the rental market is between €7 billion and €8 billion in 2023 prices. It is a significant cost. In making any policy decisions in this area, we have to strike a balance between ensuring that we have an adequate number of rental properties and trying to improve the energy rating of those properties.”
“The appropriate balance has to be struck between improving the energy efficiency of our rental stock any potential impact that any intervention may have on the private rental market, particularly around availability of accommodation. This is an area that is being kept under active review.”
“As part of Ireland's residential retrofit programme, the Government launched a new package of supports targeting homes that were built and occupied pre-2011. These supports have been made available to non-corporate landlords and approved housing bodies to improve the efficiency of their rental properties. A home energy upgrade loan scheme, launched in 2024, enables homeowners, including non-corporate landlords, to borrow between €5,000 and €75,000 at significantly lower interest rates to complete a home energy upgrade. A tax incentive is now in place to encourage small-scale landlords to undertake retrofitting works while the tenant remains in situ. Budget 2026 included the announcement that the income tax deduction for small landlords who retrofit their properties will be extended for a further three years.”
“I thank the Deputy. A commitment was included under Housing for All to develop a roadmap to implement minimum building energy rating, BER, standards where feasible for the private rental sector. This work supports the objectives set down in the Government's climate action plan. My Department is committed to improving energy efficiency in the rental market and our work in this area is being informed by researched commissioned from the ESRI. The ESRI research paper, published earlier this year, explores the investment requirements for energy efficiency upgrades in the private rental sector. The ESRI research is a valuable contribution to our understanding of future investment requirements to ensure the appropriate energy efficiency upgrades in the private rental sector, and it will help in the development of policy and actions in this area.”
“That is getting their taxes back that they have paid over the previous four years to support them in getting their deposits together to purchase their first homes. That does not have to be paid back. The Deputy's party is opposed to that. It is not putting additional debt on any family or individual. The first home scheme is bridging the gap to home ownership, with 618 applications in the Deputy's county of Meath, and I can guarantee-----”
“The Deputy should tell that to the 6,200 who have received support under the help to buy scheme, again a significant scheme in order to help bridge the gap in terms of the deposit to purchase their first homes, again provided by the Government to support people in giving them their taxes back to be able to get their foot on the property ladder, supports and schemes that the Government is providing and that the Deputy's party opposes.”
“I did not quite catch exactly the description of the country the Deputy just gave but, as he knows, there are as many people returning to this country as people leaving it. In terms of affordability supports, he should tell the 618 individuals and couples in his county of Meath who have been approved under the first home scheme that the support that the Government is providing is not of help to them in getting their foot on the ladder. The Deputy's party opposes the first home scheme. Those 618 individuals and couples in County Meath would not be in homes today if it were not for the first home scheme.”
“Under the first home scheme, which provides equity support of up to 30%, or 20% if being combined with the help-to-buy scheme, up to the end of September, 618 approvals have been issued in County Meath, 599 of them to first-time buyers, six to tenant purchase and eight to self-build. Of those, 413 have been drawn down, comprising 406 first-time buyers, five tenant purchases and two self-builds. A considerable amount of affordable housing support has been provided. As the Deputy knows, there is a commitment under the programme for Government to introduce a starter homes programme bringing all elements under the one roof. The vacant property refurbishment grant is also providing affordability supports to first-time buyers in County Meath and across the country.”