Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 May 2021
108. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the recent report by the European Committee of Social Rights published in April 2021 (details supplied); and the steps he plans to take to resolve the issues at the heart of the collective complaint. [22939/21]
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.
Notwithstanding the legal obligation on local authorities to manage and maintain their own stock, my Department supports a number of local authority housing stock improvement programmes which have seen over €757m of exchequer funding invested in local authority housing stock improvement works since 2014. For example:
The Voids Programme funds local authorities to remediate vacant homes to ensure they meet minimum letting standards. Since 2014, 16,102 vacant local authority homes have been remediated and re-let at a cost of €229m
The Energy Efficiency Programme aims to upgrade homes. Since 2014, 60,357 homes have benefited from retrofitting works at a cost of €134m. Budget 2021 saw a significant uplift in Energy Efficiency funding and the Programme for Government commits to further funding being made available to local authorities going forward for planned maintenance works; insulation, windows and doors and heating systems
The Disabled Persons Grant Scheme funds necessary adaptations to local authority housing stock to accommodate the needs of the elderly and disabled and to relieve overcrowding. Since 2014, thousands of households have had their living conditions improved at a cost of €94m.
The Regeneration Scheme funds programmes of estate regeneration in a number of targeted areas around the country. These projects seek to address the causes of disadvantage in these communities through a holistic programme of physical, social and economic regeneration. Projects being funded under the Programme target the country’s most disadvantaged communities, including those defined by the most extreme social exclusion, unemployment and anti-social behaviour. Over €300m of exchequer funding has been provided to support this programme.
My Department will continue to support local authorities in their work in these area in 2021, however, it is important to note that my Department and local authorities are working to transition from a largely response and voids based approach for housing stock management and maintenance to a planned maintenance approach. This will require the completion of stock condition surveys of circa 140,000 social homes in local authority ownership over a 4 to 5 year timespan. This is scheduled to commence in late 2021 as part of the piloting of the ICT system to support this work. The subsequent development of strategic and informed work programmes will be determined as a result of these surveys. My Department will support these work programmes by ensuring that the funding available under various stock improvement programmes support this approach.
