Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 July 2020
321. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the funding available for local authorities for the voids programme will be increased for 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14545/20]
View answer322. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the funding available to Cavan County Council for the Voids Programme will be increased in view of the need to bring vacant social houses back to habitable condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14547/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 321 and 322 together.
The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.
Since 2014, Exchequer funding has also been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to support local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting. This funding was initially introduced to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted at ensuring minimal turnaround and re-let times for local authority vacant stock. During 2019, expenditure of some €26.6 million was recouped to local authorities under the Voids Programme.
Cavan County Council has received €1.65 million in funding under the Voids Programme from 2014 to 2019, supporting 137 units being returned to use.
There is a two stage process for allocations under the Voids Programme for 2020 in light of the impact of COVID-19. Firstly, on 26 May, there was an initial call for proposals for COVID-19 Voids funding for vacant units which were required for the emergency accommodation of qualified households arising from the need to prevent, limit, minimise or slow the spread of COVID-19. The majority of works approved under this element of the programme are complete. Cavan County Council submitted 8 properties for assessment under the Covid-19 Voids Programme and have received approval for all 8 properties. A second call for proposals, under the normal voids programme, will issue shortly.
There is a commitment under Rebuilding Ireland that local authorities will introduce a preventative maintenance approach to the management of their housing stock. My Department is working with local authorities to this end.
