The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, has announced €40 million in 2026 allocations for local authorities to prepare approximately 2,200 council homes for re-letting.

The move represents a €9 million (29%) increase on last year's funding and is aimed at tackling vacancy and dereliction by accelerating the pace at which empty social homes are brought back into use.

A new performance-linked model for the Voids Programme will tie future funding to how well councils reduce vacancy and improve turnaround times. Under the plan, a vacancy rate of 2% and a maximum average turnaround time of 18 weeks will be targeted by 2027, with further reductions to 15 weeks in 2028 and 12 weeks in 2029. Local authorities that hit these benchmarks will be eligible for full funding.

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Announcing the changes, Minister Browne said: "This new model for the Voids Programme is ultimately about delivering social homes to families and individuals more quickly.

"Too many social homes have remained vacant for too long, particularly when we are in a housing crisis. The new vacancy and turnaround time targets will mean that properties spend less time empty and more time providing security and stability for people who need them most.

"By linking funding to turnaround performance, we are ensuring that every local authority is supported and incentivised to return homes to use as swiftly as possible.

"Backed by a €40 million allocation for 2026—an increase of 29%—this approach will help prepare around 2,200 homes for re‑letting. That investment will make a tangible difference to people and their families across the country, ensuring that properties are not left idle but are brought back into use with speed. Ultimately, this is about making better use of what we already have and delivering homes to people sooner."

Since the Voids Programme began in 2014, €385 million has been spent returning 27,860 homes to active use.