Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 May 2021
100. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to address the issue of vacant council houses in Limerick city and county to ensure that these properties can be quickly refurbished and made available as quickly as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22865/21]
View answerThe 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 introduced originally to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted to support authority's to ensure minimal turnaround and re-let times for vacant stock.
In relation to Limerick City and County Council, the local authority has received over €6.5 million of funding from 2014 to 2020, supporting the return of 393 properties to use.
My Department will continue to support local authorities in their work remediating vacant social housing properties in 2021. In preparation for this year’s programme correspondence issued to all local authorities requesting data on the total number of vacant units within their social housing stock as at January 2021. This process will help inform funding requirements and allocations for this year’s programme. A further communication in respect of the 2021 voids programme will issue to all local authorities shortly.
It is important to note that my Department and local authorities are working to transition from a largely response and voids based approach to housing stock management and maintenance to a planned maintenance approach. This will require the completion of stock condition surveys by all local authorities and the subsequent development of strategic and informed work programmes in response. My Department will support these work programmes by ensuring that the funding available under the various stock improvement programmes are aligned with this approach.
