In response to my Department’s request for submissions under the new capital funding programme for returning vacant local authority houses to productive use, local authorities indicated that there currently are some 3,016 vacant properties across all city and county councils and sought funding of around €34.7 million for the refurbishment of 1944 properties. Following rigorous assessment of the proposals received, funding approval issued in respect of 952 dwellings, with priority given to those proposals which would deliver the maximum number of units at optimum cost. Funding was allocated on an equitable and evidence based system, adjudicated and weighted under select criteria including the level of local housing need and the unit cost of the proposals received. Funding of up to €30,000 per unit is available for a suite of works to improve energy efficiency and upgrade the fabric of the house. In the case of Wexford, the County Council was allocated €258,285 for those 11 units which best met the selection criteria and fell within the unit cost ceiling for the scheme.
Under the recently announced €200 million capital stimulus for the construction sector, of which some €50 million is earmarked for social housing, my Department will provide a further €20 million for the refurbishment of vacant units in order that these can be made available as quickly as possible to families on the housing waiting lists . On 10 June my Department wrote to local authorities asking them to submit by the end of the month , proposals for the refurbishment of additional units in 2014. It is anticipated that this will result in the return of a further 1,000 housing units to productive use, 850 of which are expected to be delivered this year. I see this as a rolling g programme and I hope to add to i t 2015 by announcing a further tranche of new housing starts and refurbishments .
