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Home in Limerick restored under the Buy and Renew Scheme

Building contractors in Limerick are being encouraged to snap up derelict properties as part of a major expansion of a national housing scheme.

The fight against dereliction in Limerick City and County is set for a significant boost following a major expansion of the government’s Buy and Renew Scheme.

The update, announced today, will allow building contractors to directly purchase and refurbish vacant and derelict properties for the first time.

Under the new “contractor-led” pathway, builders can acquire eyesore buildings, provided they have a prior agreement to sell the finished homes to a local authority—such as Limerick City and County Council—or an Approved Housing Body (AHB).

Previously, the scheme was restricted to local authorities and AHBs carrying out the work themselves.

By opening the door to private contractors, the government aims to accelerate the pace of social housing delivery while supporting local tradespeople.

To ensure the scheme focuses on the most “challenging” buildings, the eligibility criteria have been tightened.

Properties must now be both vacant and derelict to qualify.

This ensures the scheme doesn’t compete with the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, which is aimed at private homeowners, but instead tackles the properties that have become a “scourge” on town centres.

Minister for Housing James Browne TD highlighted the importance of revitalising communities:

“Allowing buildings to lie idle when homes are needed is not acceptable. This approach will help ensure that no building with potential is left idle and that more families can access secure, sustainable homes.”

For Limerick, a region that has seen active enforcement on derelict sites in recent years, this provides a new tool to turn long-term voids into high-quality social housing.

Nationally, the scheme has already brought 960 homes back into use since 2016.

The move comes ahead of the proposed Derelict Property Tax due in 2027, which is expected to push more owners to engage with local authorities or sell to contractors ready to build.