Vacant Above the Shop grant should include small businesses – Murphy

Considerations should be given to including small and micro enterprises within the Vacant Above the Shop grant, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Deputy Michael Murphy raised the issue in the Dáil, following the launch on 1st April of the new Vacant Above the Shop Grant, which makes up to €140,000 available for the conversion and refurbishment of vacant above-the-shop space into residential use where the commercial element of the property is being retained.

“This grant is a significant step forward. Towns and villages across Tipperary and the country have enormous untapped potential in vacant space above commercial premises and bringing that space into use as homes is exactly the kind of practical solution we need.”

However, Deputy Murphy said the scheme’s current restriction to individual ownership structures risked limiting its impact, given the range of ways above-the-shop premises are typically held.

“The honest reality is that many of these properties are not owned by private individuals – they are held through limited companies, small partnerships or other business structures.

“If we are serious about maximising uptake and genuinely tackling vacancy in our town centres, we need to consider eligibility criteria to reflect that.”

Deputy Murphy acknowledged the Government’s commitment in the Housing Plan to exploring an extension of the grant to small and micro companies but said he would be pressing for that work to be completed without delay.

“This review is due to be undertaken in the second half of this year, and I will be pushing to ensure it concludes quickly and delivers a real broadening of eligibility. The vacant space is there, we need the scheme to reach it.”

The overall Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant scheme has seen strong take-up nationally, with over 16,000 applications made to local authorities and almost €250 million in grant funding paid out to date.