Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, has issued a directive to local authorities to strengthen the Repair and Lease Scheme (RLS), which offers interest-free loans of up to €80,000 per unit to owners of vacant properties so they can be repaired or converted to rental standards.

The changes are intended to unlock additional homes nationwide.

Under the directive, three key adjustments are being made to RLS. First, the cap relating to property owners is being removed. The scheme previously limited applications for existing residential properties to owners who required capital funding—an approach designed to exclude investment firms—but this proved difficult to implement and created extra administrative work for councils. Second, local authorities are being instructed to prioritise the delivery of studio and one-bedroom homes, reflecting a Programme for Government commitment to boost supply of smaller units. Third, limited vouched payments will now be permitted to help cover legal fees, supporting local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) with related costs.

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Minister Browne said: "The Repair and Lease Scheme is a targeted but effective intervention which has already created hundreds of new homes while simultaneously tackling the blight of dereliction at the heart of many of our towns and villages. The changes I am introducing today will help the scheme deliver even more homes.

"As I travel around the country, I see vacant properties – often pubs – just sitting idle and no longer a commercial premises for whatever reason. Locals rightly wonder why these are not being converted to homes or who is going to do something with them. I am determined that local authorities can step into the breach and the changes I am introducing today will help them to do so.

"The scheme is a win/win for everybody – tackling dereliction and creating new homes, particularly one bedroomed accommodation for which there is a great need."