Funding to protect renters, tackle dereliction and boost housing supply in Waterford achieved in Budget 2026

Tackling derelict properties, protecting renters and accelerating affordable housing supply in Waterford has been prioritised in Budget 2026, Minister of State for Planning and Local Government John Cummins has said.

The Fine Gael Minister has also secured €71 million for the Planning sector, an increase of €8 million on last year’s budget, which will result in faster turnaround times for planning decisions and to support planning staff in local authorities.

The Local Government sector will also see further support from the Government with a contribution of €699.9m.

Speaking shortly after Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe outlined the Budget in the Dáil,

Minister Cummins said Waterford people would see the benefit of a significant housing package delivered for his Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

He said: “This is a very significant Budget for the delivery of housing in this country, we are further protecting renters and targeting supporting apartment delivery as well as tackling dereliction in towns and cities across the country.

“I am really pleased that a number of areas of priority for me have received financial backing in the first Budget of this Government.”

This includes the extension of the rent tax credit for another three years with single renters able to claim back €1,000 and €2,000 for a couple to help them towards the cost of their rental property.

Minister Cummins said: “We are providing renters with further security today with the guarantee that the rent tax credit will be in place for another three years. This coupled with the recent introduction of bringing the whole country under a Rent Pressure Zone will offer tenants certainty.”

The Help-to-Buy scheme has also been extended for five years, a scheme that offers young people support to move into their first home.

Mortgage owners will also see mortgage interest relief for another year.

The Waterford Minister said nothing frustrates people more than seeing derelict homes in their towns and cities. Currently local authorities have the responsibility to collect the levy charged on homes that people have left derelict.

However, Minister Cummins has recognized that a change is needed to ensure tax charged to people who have left properties derelict is collected more efficiently.

Minister Cummins said; “It is important that we are doing everything possible to bring back vacant and derelict properties to the market. I am pleased that my party colleague and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has agreed that Revenue will now have the responsibility of collecting this tax. I believe it will result in property owners acting more quickly to engage with local authorities to remove their properties from dereliction. A new Derelict Property Tax will replace the current Derelict Sites Levy.”

The fall off of apartment delivery in this country needed immediate attention and a number of measures have already been introduced by Minister Cummins, including new apartment guidelines and the extension of planning permission that were due to lapse.

However, Fine Gael has been clear that a further viability measures was required to support the escalation of apartment delivery in this country, whichwill increase supply and drive down prices, making homes more affordable for people.

Minister Cummins said: “Today we are introducing a VAT cut to 9% for the delivery of residential apartments, which will significantly reduce the cost of delivering homes for the sector.

“We are also removing corporation tax applicable on the delivery of cost rental homes which deliver rents of at least 25% below market rents. This will encourage the entry of the private sector into cost rental to enhance delivery by Local Authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and the Land Development Agency.

Waterford will also benefit from changes to the Living City Initiative, which supports the enhancement of older housing and commercial stock.

He said; “This initiative has the potential to deliver even more in Waterford and I am pleased it is being extended to the end of 2030. It will now apply to properties built in 1975 as opposed to 1015 bringing many more properties into the scope of the scheme.

“Significantly, there will be an introduction of a new category of tax relief for the conversion of commercial property into residential including ‘over the shop’premises and there will be no building age restriction on these properties. The maximum amount of relief will increase by €100,000 to €300,000.”