{"id":868,"date":"2026-04-02T09:29:55","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T08:29:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/monaghan.ie\/town-regeneration\/?page_id=868"},"modified":"2026-04-08T17:03:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T16:03:48","slug":"vacant-above-the-shop-grant","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/monaghan.ie\/town-regeneration\/vacant-above-the-shop-grant\/","title":{"rendered":"Vacant Above the Shop Grant"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>From 31 March 2026\u201d, The Vacant Above the Shop Grant,funded under the <strong>Cro\u00ed C\u00f3naithe Towns Fund<\/strong>, is a national initiative designed to help bring long\u2011term vacant spaces in commercial buildings back into residential use. The scheme specifically targets unused areas located <strong>above shops or other commercial premises<\/strong>, supporting their refurbishment or conversion into new homes. This forms part of the Government\u2019s wider strategy to tackle vacancy and dereliction while revitalising town, village, and city centres.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>By encouraging people to live in the heart of urban areas, the scheme aims to create new housing, increase footfall, and enhance local vibrancy\u2014all while making sustainable use of existing buildings.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The grant offers <strong>significant financial assistance<\/strong> to property owners who convert or refurbish vacant upper\u2011floor or ancillary commercial space into residential units. Funding levels are based on the number of homes being delivered:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Up to \u20ac95,000<\/strong> for the first residential unit created or refurbished<\/li>\n<li><strong>An additional \u20ac20,000<\/strong> for a second unit<\/li>\n<li><strong>A further \u20ac20,000<\/strong> where three or more units are developed<\/li>\n<li><strong>Maximum grant: \u20ac135,000 per building<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Owners may also apply for a <strong>\u20ac5,000 <a href=\"https:\/\/monaghan.ie\/town-regeneration\/expert-advice-grant\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Expert Advice Grant<\/a><\/strong> to obtain professional guidance on design, building requirements, and cost estimates. It is advised to do this prior to making a full application for the Vacant Above the Shop Grant. (Link to Expert Advice Grant once set up)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>To qualify, the building must:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Have been <strong>built before 2008<\/strong>,<\/li>\n<li>Contain a <strong>commercial element<\/strong> that will remain in place,<\/li>\n<li>Have <strong>vacant above\u2011the\u2011shop or ancillary space<\/strong> unused for at least <strong>two years<\/strong>,<\/li>\n<li>Be located within a town, village, or city.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The resulting homes can be used as the owner\u2019s <strong>Principal Private Residence (PPR)<\/strong> or made available as <strong>long\u2011term rental accommodation<\/strong> (with RTB\u2011registered tenancies). Short\u2011term letting (e.g., Airbnb) is not permitted.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The grant covers a wide range of eligible works including structural repairs, internal and external finishes, roof and fa\u00e7ade works, services installation, fire safety upgrades, access improvements, and any specific works needed to safely convert commercial buildings into residential space.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Successful applicants must meet planning, building, and tax requirements, complete the works within <strong>18 months<\/strong>, and use the home(s) as declared for <strong>10 years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Full details\u2014including eligibility, conditions, and how to apply\u2014are available in the documents below. <strong>It is important to read these documents to get the full details of the scheme in terms of what is covered, eligibility and process. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/monaghan.ie\/town-regeneration\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2026\/04\/Final-version-scheme-outline-Above-The-Shop-26-3-26-pdf-002.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Vacant Above the Shop Grant Scheme Outline<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/monaghan.ie\/town-regeneration\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2026\/04\/Above-the-Shop-Public-FAQs-002.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Vacant Above the Shop Grant FAQs<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/monaghan.ie\/town-regeneration\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2026\/04\/Final-Vacant-Above-the-Shop-Grant-Applcation-form-31-3-26-002.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Vacant Above the Shop Grant Application Form<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Also, see \u00a0link to \u00a0the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage website for further information\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.ie\/en\/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage\/services\/vacant-above-the-shop-grant\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.gov.ie\/en\/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage\/services\/vacant-above-the-shop-grant\/.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Applications can be submitted to\u00a0\u00a0<strong><a href=\"mailto:derelictsites@monaghancoco.ie\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">derelictsites@monaghancoco.ie<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0or by post to<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Vacant Homes Officer, Town Regeneration Office, Monaghan County Council, Mtek 1 Building, Armagh Rd, Knockaconny, Monaghan, H18 HC96, 047 73779 \/ 047 61702<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>For any enquiries you may have in relation to the scheme, please contact the Monaghan County Council Vacant Homes Office via email:\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:derelictsites@monaghancoco.ie\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">derelictsites@monaghancoco.ie<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From 31 March 2026\u201d, The Vacant Above the Shop Grant,funded under the Cro\u00ed C\u00f3naithe Towns Fund, is a national initiative designed to help bring long\u2011term vacant spaces in commercial buildings [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-868","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - 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