The Conservation Advice Grant Scheme for Vacant Traditional Houses is an expanded funding scheme to provide grants for expert conservation advice to owners of traditional houses who are availing of, or considering, the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant.

The Conservation Advice Grant Scheme provides grants to cover 67% of the costs (up to a maximum grant of €5,000) of having a conservation expert with proven and appropriate expertise:

• visit a vacant or derelict traditional building
• conduct a survey, and
• compile tailored conservation advice for the property owner.

This expert advice will include a report which outlines the condition of the building and identifies conservation improvements which would restore it to use while enhancing its character, energy efficiency, integrity, and amenity.

Due to launch again in Spring 2025.

Types of buildings that qualify

The Conservation Advice Grant Scheme supports the refurbishment of properties under two streams.

Stream 1

Stream 1 of the scheme is open to owners of vacant traditional houses in villages, towns and cities where the building is a Protected Structure and/or an historic structure within an Architectural Conservation Area.

Residential houses and commercial buildings qualify for the scheme where the intended use is as a single dwelling or a single dwelling over a shop.

This scheme supports the aims of the Town Centre First Policy and Housing for All.

For the purposes of the scheme, the definitions of villages, towns and cities come from the CSO’s list of towns used to compile data under Census 2022.

Stream 2

Stream 2 of the scheme is open to owners of Vacant Traditional Farmhouses where the building is a Protected Structure and/or an historic farmhouse located within an Architectural Conservation Area and/or a vernacular farmhouse which has no statutory protection.

Vernacular farmhouses comprise modest homes constructed by ‘ordinary’ people following long established folk traditions, using materials such as:

• thatch
• stone
• slate
• earth
• wattle
• unsawn timber.

Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant helps bring vacant and derelict properties back into use. It is available for the refurbishment of:

• vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence; and
• properties made available for rent, including the conversion of a property which has not yet been used as residential

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant provides a grant of:

• up to €50,000 to renovate a vacant property, or
• €70,000 to renovate a derelict property.

Information on the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is available on the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage website.

Properties must be vacant for two years or more and built no later than 2007.

Applications

Applications for this scheme are currently not open, but will re-open in 2025 .

Please send any questions about the scheme to conservationadvicegrants@housing.gov.ie