Room to Improve - Grants 😱

It’s the vacant home grant that gets me , that house tonight was clearly being lived in .. and the roof was condemned apparently just to push for the grant .. a lot of bending of the rules it seems

It makes my blood boil. The house was crearly being lived in, with the electricity, family photos, kids toys, whiche jacket on back of door etc. It is fair enough if they want to give it energy upgrade grants etc.

There was a lot of money involved. 70k in the vacant property grant and derelict grants alone? That takes the rest of us 140k to earn. Giving these people so much money is not fair on the rest of us.

In other councils you have to provide, among other things, 2 years esb bills to show the house was vacant etc. The house @ 303 k they bough was perfectly liveable in an fine, it had central heating, fuel beside the fireplace etc. There were and are a lot worse houses in the country before Dermot arrived at all.

Last week's farmhouse also got the grants when clearly building works had commenced before grant was approved.

From what I seen in the latest episode, the owners have to provide the money upfront themselves to pay for work to be done, and then claim the grants back later?

Maybe I picked it up wrong?

I remember the QS asking them if they have any means to fund the 99k as the grant wasn't getting paid upfront.

That house was not derelict. Yes it was cold but derelict ?

Did I also hear that the builder funded the project until the grants came through? During the conversation about having €120k to pay now?

something wrong with all of this IMHO!

Article in today's Indo about Dermot meeting with Dept of Housing to get the info on grants.

Seriously folks? Do you actually believe that a national broadcaster would broadcast a situation where fraud is evident? Seems like sour grapes going by some of the posts here. Maybe your time would be put to better use by reading the applicable information on the application for, processing of and payment of said grants.

I agree with pretty much everything that has been said, it's absolutely a joke. And builder giving them the loan was the cherry on top.

It's not real world stuff at all. How they got 100k of grants is stretching credulity to say the least!!

Your post shows a lack of understanding of the grant Muffler.

To qualify for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, you must meet the following criteria:

• The property must have been vacant for 2 years or more. You will not qualify if the property has been left unreasonably or purposely vacant so you can get the grant.
• The property must have been built before 2008. (Before 1 May 2023, only homes built before 1993 qualified.)
• You must own the property or be in the process of buying it.
• You must live in the property as your principal private residence when the work is completed, or make it available for rent. If you are going to rent the property when the work is done, you must register the tenancy with the Residential Tenancies Board.
• You must have tax clearance from Revenue and your tax affairs must be in order.
• You must have paid your Local Property Tax, if applicable.
• You must not be a registered company or developer.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/housing-grants-and-schemes/local-authority-housing-grants-and-supports/vacant-property-refurbishment-grant/

This is the Government one:

https://www.gov.ie/en/service/f8f1b-vacant-property-refurbishment-grant/

(Note the citizens information one includes information only shown on the application form)

Furthermore per https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/256936/bf727a33-a830-4b09-8917-aaf4e324a886.pdf#page=null :

It was a disgrace and the minister should be hauled over the hot coals for it.

I'd imagine based on the info available that this case will come in for scrutiny. The house was clearly habitable and had been lived in. The criteria for the grant is clear cut and this house doesn't meet it.

The house in 2022 looks like a old persons house. Its very possible that it wasn't "lived" in for over 2 years but looked after. My partners grandmothers house was the same, not lived in for 3 years but looked perfect when sold because she was in a home. I'd imagine that a lot of the Fair deal houses are the same.

And the above doesn't say you can't move in and apply for the grant due to the fact it was vacant. Seems like they bought the house, moved in, applied for the vacant home grant because it was vacant for over 2 years and took advantage of a loophole.

Look fair play if they got the grants - I wouldn't taking it back off them or alleging fraud.

But there are lots of people all over the country that SHOULD NOW QUALIFY for the same grants based on last night's show. I know several couples who bought genuine derelict, vacant properties and are struggling to qualify so questions do need to be asked about how these schemes are managed.