There are plenty of government resources available to renovate vacant homes, according to a local senator.
Senator Aisling Dolan made the comments in response to claims made by Journalist Ronan McGreevey that Ireland has an unacceptably high vacancy rate.
According to the Irish Times reporter, there are significant numbers of derelict homes in Carrick on Shannon, despite high rental demand and an increase in population.
The Fine Gael representative says the funding of up to €70,000 for vacant or derelict houses built before 2007 will provide families with a real chance to transform idle homes.
Speaking on the Joe Finnegan Show, Senator Dolan says this fund will have a significant impact on the towns and villages in the West of Ireland:
'There's a huge increase around vacancy, we have empty and derelict homes all around our counties around Roscommon and East Galway. When you go into towns and villages and there is homes there that can be done up. What is really promising about this is that it is now looking at homes up to 2007 and that's what 15 and 16 years old that can do these homes up. Credit unions around here are also expanding ability to provide grants but it is very important here that we are seeing that these grants are going to be making the option of more homes back to use.'
