Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 October 2017
732. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number and location of units purchased by Galway City Council and Galway County Council under the buy-and-renew scheme; the number that have been made available for social housing; the expected date by which the remaining units will be available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42848/17]
View answerThe Buy & Renew initiative is in the early stages of being implemented across all local authorities. However, we are seeing positive signs of its potential to deliver new social housing units, in addition to the other advantages it can bring of supporting strategies on vacant homes and urban renewal.
Its implementation as part of the range of programmes to deliver social housing and tackle vacancy are matters, in the first place, for the local authorities themselves. I understand that both Galway local authorities have undertaken promotional and awareness campaigns following the introduction of the Buy & Renew and Repair & Lease initiatives. I further understand they are pursuing some properties identified through this process, while others may not prove suitable. I recognise that achieving social housing delivery through schemes such as Buy & Renew is likely to be more resource-intensive for the local authorities than other delivery streams, such as acquiring good quality housing. Sourcing the owners of vacant properties and undertaking remediation works will draw on resources, albeit it can present new sources of properties for social housing while tackling vacancy.
Both the Galway authorities are actively engaged in identifying properties suitable for acquisition, including properties in reasonable condition and vacant properties under the Buy & Renew Scheme. In the period since 2016, they have been successful in acquiring over 50 new social homes in various locations, five of which are under the Buy & Renew Scheme.
I have requested the local authorities in the main cities to develop and adopt Vacant Homes Action Plans by the end of October, with a deadline for all other County Action Plans to be completed by the end of 2017. I expect the preparation of these Plans will assist the authorities in developing a fuller understanding of the current vacancy levels in their functional areas, to ascertain where empty homes are located and who owns these vacant properties, and then to prioritise and target those areas where housing demand is most acute.
