Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2016
361. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to create a vacant homes register in the short term to help tackle the housing crisis, given that the report form the Housing Agency indicated that there are almost 250,000 vacant properties here, excluding holiday homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12505/16]
View answerThe figures produced by the Housing Agency, drawing on Census 2011, highlight the extent of vacant properties in the country at that time. The Agency has also highlighted the importance of utilising existing housing stock to meet the housing shortage where possible. In this regard, vacant units in areas that are already serviced may provide opportunities. In order to fully ascertain the potential from vacant units more information is required on, inter alia, the up to date number of units, which will be available from this years’ census, their location and the local demand for such dwellings, the reasons the properties are vacant, any obstacles to bringing the units up to standard and back into productive use and the associated costs.
The potential to bring vacant units, in private ownership, back into productive use will be examined in the context of drafting the Action Plan for Housing. All options for the delivery of good quality houses and apartments, particularly in areas that are already serviced, are being examined by my Department.
In relation to vacant local authority units, high priority has been placed on supporting local authorities to return vacant social housing units to productive use for those on the housing waiting list. Between 2014 and 2015, some 5,000 such units were remediated with the support from the Exchequer and were made available to those on housing waiting lists. Work was also carried out by local authorities themselves on vacant houses through normal pre-letting works.
Over the last two years, my Department has provided some €60 million for this purpose. This investment is a very significant support to deal with the backlog of vacant social housing units and a key element in addressing urgent social housing need.
