Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 December 2014
536. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to turn around boarded-up social housing in a more timely manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49049/14]
View answer537. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to have local authorities report monthly on the amount of boarded-up social housing in their possession; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49050/14]
View answer538. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on asking voluntary housing bodies to help with the turn around of boarded-up social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49051/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 536 to 538, inclusive, together.
Under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966, the management and maintenance of social housing stock is the responsibility of local authorities, as the housing authorities for their areas. My Department provides funding support to local authorities in respect of their work on the provision and maintenance of social housing and, in recognition of the need to make best use of existing stock and facilitate local authorities to accommodate housing applicants as quickly as possible, €30 m has been provided in 2014 towards the work of local authorities in returning vacant properties to lettable, energy efficient condition at reasonable cost.
That funding is targeting the refurbishment of 1,960 vacant social housing units and it is likely that this target will be met or exceeded by the end of the year. While local authorities report progress to my Department in relation to this work over the course of the year, general statistics on local authority housing stock, including units that may be empty, are published annually by the Local Government Management Agency. The most recent statistics are in respect of 2012 and are available at the following link:http://www.lgma.ie/sites/default/files/service_indicators_2012_report_for_website_0.pdf.
In the context of the responsibility of local authorities for the management and maintenance of social housing, they work collaboratively with approved housing bodies across a range of social housing activities, from the provision of social housing to the refurbishment of existing stock. I welcome and encourage all collaborative work between local authorities and approved housing bodies in relation to the delivery and maintenance of local social housing services.
