Mayo County Council to launch online portal for vacant homes grant
Mayo County Council is to launch a new online portal for applications under the Croí Cónaithe Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme.
The switch is aimed at speeding up processing times and meeting growing demand for the popular initiative.
The portal will go live on March 2, 2026, with the council confirming that applications will continue to be accepted by post and email up to February 27.
The grant scheme, introduced in 2022 under the Government’s “Housing for All” policy, was initially designed to tackle vacancy and dereliction in urban centres.
However, it has expanded significantly in recent years, with increased funding and an extension to include rural dwellings.
Further expansion is planned in 2026, with commercial properties and “over the shop” residential units set to be included.
Tom Gilligan, Director of Services at Mayo County Council, said the scheme is already having a major impact.
“The grants and schemes that our Vacant Homes Office administer have real potential to change the landscape of our towns and rural communities,” he said.
“The grants support property owners to bring back much needed vacant and derelict properties into residential use.
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is available to those wishing to either live in the property as their principal private residence or make the property available for rent.”
Mayo County Council said the scheme has generated considerable interest locally, with the Vacant Homes Office processing nearly 1,000 applications since its launch.
To date, more than €11 million has been paid out to successful applicants.
With demand continuing to rise and applications being received daily, the council has decided to migrate away from a paper-based application system on a phased basis.
The online system is being developed in partnership with MyCoCo.ie, a shared digital platform used by local authorities to deliver public services online.
MyCoCo.ie delivered Phase I of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant platform last year, which was piloted by Cavan County Council in June 2025. Mayo County Council said Cavan reported that processing times were reduced by up to 50% following its introduction.
It is expected the first phase of the Mayo portal will reduce the time it takes for applications to reach the inspection stage and ultimately approval. Once approved, applicants have 13 months to complete refurbishment works and submit their grant claim.
Phase II of the platform is expected to come on stream later in 2026 and will deal with processing grant claims and progressing applications through final inspection and payment.