The vacant property refurbishment grant scheme has had "a phenomenal" impact within communities in the northwest, according to Donegal County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Niamh Kennedy.
Donegal Vacant Homes Officer Vincent Cranley said they have received more than 1,000 applications in the county with over 700 of those applications approved.
The grant scheme, launched over two years ago, provides up to €50,000 for the refurbishment of a vacant property for occupation as a home or rental property and a further €20,000 is available if the property is derelict.
Since the scheme was set up, local authorities have received over 10,000 applications and a total of €45,096,241 has been paid out to successful applicants.
Latest available information from the Department of Housing details discrepancies in the uptake of the scheme uptake from county to county.
While Donegal County Council has received the highest number of applications, Galway City and Carlow are among the local authorities to have received the lowest amount.
Valuation Surveyor and Lecturer in Construction Engineering at ATU, Laura O'Donnell, believes "there are several reasons" for the discrepancies.
Ms O'Donnell said the discrepancies from county to county may be a result of the type of properties available, suitability, cost, awareness and collaboration between local authorities and contractors.
She also said the availability of contractors to complete works within the required 13-month timeframe of the scheme may be challenging.
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"The property needs to be vacant for two years and can be quite difficult to prove, requiring a solicitor's letter or bills from previous owners," she said.
"I think it’s a very good scheme and I believe there should be more awareness of it," she added.
To qualify for the scheme, applicants must prove the properties were vacant for two years or more.
Applicants must be the owner, or in the process of becoming the owner, and the property must be property tax compliant or exempt and a quotation must be provided for works planned.
The scheme's application process involves the local authority reviewing applications and arranging for a qualified person to visit the property to check the works applied for and the proposed cost.
Following confirmation of a successful application and the works being completed, the local authority conducts a final property inspection, and the grant is paid then.
Mr Cranley said Donegal County Council has held a lot of public information events which has helped them to get "the correct message out there".
He said this has resulted in the correct information being submitted, which in turn has allowed the council to process applications more quickly.
"Obviously, there's a lot of vacancy and dereliction in Donegal and the west coast of Ireland but this is seen as a mechanism to tackle that and coupled with our proactive approach, it has contributed to our high numbers," he said.
He added: "In respect of the climate action, the repurposing of an existing property has less impact on the environment than a new build on a greenfield site.
"There's also the heritage aspect. It's fantastic seeing these properties brought into use again and given another 100 years of life while protecting the fabric of the landscape."
Ms Kennedy said the council's regeneration team has been engaging with regeneration groups throughout the county.
She said the trend of renovating something older has captured the imagination as she sees many applicants in the scheme who "love what they’re doing".
Kellie Ferry and Ryan Moore availed of the scheme after they bought a derelict property near Creeslough village.
The two carried out a full renovation including roofing, flooring, wiring, insulation, drylining and plastering, along with the installation of an energy efficient heating system.
Mr Moore said the grant available covered some of the "big jobs", including plumbing, electricity and insulation.
"I know there were other big bills, but it [the scheme] was a fantastic help and support.
"We’re so happy and the kids are happy. It’s close to Kellie’s homeplace. It’s close to my homeplace in Letterkenny. It’s everything we dreamed," he added.
"This property has been brought back to life. People have stopped us on the street and asked us about it [the scheme] because the word spreads in such a small community."
Ms Ferry said they have helped a few people in the locality with this scheme as well since they finished it.
Áine McKenna from Monaghan and Paul Doherty from Dublin bought a property in Gort an Choirce in the Donegal Gaeltacht, after returning to live in Ireland several years ago.
Mr Doherty said the grant has been a great help, although sourcing plumbers, bricklayers and carpenters was a challenge.
Ms McKenna said it feels great to have secured a home.
"I spent 10-12 summers in Donegal. I learnt my Irish here. Paul’s a big fan of traditional music and now I’m back here to settle. It feels a bit surreal - somewhat like 'rotha mór an tsaoil’.
