Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 June 2020
1252. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of properties owned by Longford County Council; the number that are occupied; the number that are voids; and the number under offer pending occupancy in tabular form. [9539/20]
View answer1253. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of properties owned by Longford County Council that are classified as OPDs; and the number suitable for tenants with a physical disability in tabular form. [9540/20]
View answer1254. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of properties owned by Westmeath County Council that are classified as OPDs; and the number suitable for tenants with a physical disability in tabular form. [9541/20]
View answer1255. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of properties owned by Westmeath County Council; the number that are occupied; the number that are voids; and the number under offer pending occupancy in tabular form. [9542/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1252 to 1255, inclusive, together.
While the social housing stock numbers of each local authority area is changing consistently, particularly given the inflow of new delivery as part of Rebuilding Ireland, the number of social homes owned by each local authority – including Longford and Westmeath - is captured at a particular point in time by the National Oversight & Audit Commission (NOAC) and is published in its Annual Performance Indicator Reports. The most recent such report, relating to 2018, is available at the following link (see Appendix 2 for data on social housing by local authority)
http://noac.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/NOAC-Performance-Indicator-Report-2018-1.pdf.
This NOAC Report also provides details on the number of local authority homes that were vacant at a particular point in time. As would be expected in the management of several thousand homes, the levels of occupancy in the housing stock of local authorities change on an ongoing basis, as tenancies cease and new lettings are commenced continuously. My Department actively encourages local authorities to ensure that vacant properties in their stock are brought back into use as efficiently as possible. Since 2014, funding has been provided for this purpose under the Voids Programme, to accompany the funding invested by local authorities themselves in the management and turnaround of their own stock. More precise details on the tenanting of social homes by Longford and Westmeath County Councils will be available from the local authorities themselves.
Information on the precise number of properties owned by individual local authorities that are classified as OPDs or are suitable for tenants with a physical disability, is not held by my Department but should be available directly from the local authorities.
