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Local Authorities

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 July 2021

Thursday, 1 July 2021

Questions (225)

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

225. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the cost to date to his Department of the provision of funding to each local authority for the post of vacant homes officers in tabular form; if each such local authority has appointed a vacant homes officer; the date of each appointment; if such appointments are full-time dedicated posts with no other responsibilities attached; if not, the other responsibilities; if he has requested an annual report for each such local authority in relation to the work of each vacant homes officer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35613/21]

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Written answers

My Department has provided funding of €50,000 per annum to each of the 31 local authorities since July 2018. The funding is provided to support the work of the Vacant Homes Office in each local authority each year. All 31 local authorities have claimed the funding up to June 2021. My Department will issue a circular in the coming days to invite local authorities to claim the funding up to June 2022. The total amount paid to all 31 local authorities to fund Vacant Homes Offices to date is €4.65m.

Each of the 31 local authorities has appointed a Vacant Homes Officer since 2018, however, there have been many staff changes in the Local authorities in the past 3 years resulting in various different staff members filling the role within the local authorities.

In the table below the date of appointment of the current Vacant Homes Officer is provided and whether the officer is appointed in a full time capacity, dedicated only to the duties of the Vacant Homes Officer, or if they are assigned other responsibilities within the local authority.

Prior to Covid 19 restrictions being introduced, the Vacant Homes Officers submitted quarterly returns to the Vacant Homes Unit in my Department on the number of properties inspected and number of properties brought back into use through the various schemes in their administrative areas. Following the lifting of the restrictions local authorities will recommence this reporting exercise in Q3 of 2021.

Local Authority

Date of Appointment of current VHO

Full time dedicated VHO posts Yes / No

Other responsibilities assigned to Vacant Homes Officers who are not in full-time dedicated VHO posts

Carlow County Council

July 2018

NO

Senior Executive Officer in Housing overseeing various schemes and projects.

Cavan County Council

February 2019

NO

Clare County Council

June 2021

YES

Cork City Council

2019

No

Derelict Sites /Vacant Sites work / Audit Work/ Budgets.

Cork County Council

February 2018

NO

Senior Executive Officer in Housing overseeing various schemes and projects.

Donegal County Council

July 2018

NO

Responsibility as SEO for all Housing & Corporate Services delivered via 5 Municipal Districts. The duties of VHO are decentralised and incorporated into the roles of different staff in different parts of the County.

Dublin City Council

January 2017

YES

None

Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council

June 2019

NO

Other duties include administrative tasks in the following sections:

Long-Term Leasing

Housing Adaptation Grants

Disabled Persons Alterations

Fingal County Council

May 2019

NO

Social Housing Delivery Programme.

Galway City Council

September 2019

NO

Acquisitions,Long term lease scheme, The Repair and Lease scheme, Mortgage to Rent scheme and Buy & Renew scheme

Galway County Council

February 2021

NO

Long term leasing, Acquisitions

Kerry County Council

June 2019

YES

None

Kildare County Council

July 2018

NO

Administrative Officer in the Capital Team with responsibility for the acquisitions/build programmes/Part V/land management/CAS Schemes etc.

Kilkenny County Council

April 2018

NO

Housing Capital Projects (sole Architect in KCC)

Design, Site appraisal & feasibility,

Forward Planning, Consultants Liaison

CAS & CALF project Appraisals

Age-friendly Housing Tech. advisor

Community Projects-RRDF projects

Corporate Project Liaison

Access Officer

Laois County Council

September 2018

NO

RAS & Leasing, Private Rented Inspections

Leitrim County Council

2018

NO

80% VHO20% Capital Housing Regeneration and Housing. Refurbishment

Limerick City and County Council

20 July 2020

NO

Duties under the Derelict Sites Act, 1990.

Duties under the Housing Act, 1964

Staff and office management

Longford County Council

July 2018

NO

Senior Executive Officer in Housing overseeing various schemes and projects.

Louth County Council

December 2019

NO

Oversight of Housing Financial Dept.

Mayo County Council

May 2020

NO

Manage RAS/STL/HAP/RLS/LTL/CALF/CAS

Meath County Council

October 2019

NO

Vacant Housing Office – 80%Approved Housing Bodies – 20%

Monaghan County Council

July 2018

NO

Delivering Rebuilding Ireland Programme

Offaly County Council

August 2018

NO

DPG, Disabled Person Grants

Roscommon County Council

October 2020VHO position has been consistently maintained since 2018.

VHO post is substantially full time

- 75% of the postholders’ role is VHO related- Derelict Sites and Dangerous Places; - Planning enforcement. Due to backlogs in some other areas of work, primarily arising from Covid 19 related issues and restrictions, the VHO officer has been deployed in recent months to assist in other areas of work. Prior to that, VHO work accounted for 100% of postholder activity.

Sligo County Council

September 2018

NO

Planning, Enforcement and Building Control

South Dublin County Council

November 2019

No

Rent Accounts and Assessment

Sale of Local Authority to tenants

Local Authority Mortgage Loans/Rebuilding Ireland Home Loans

Tenant Purchase

Mortgage Allowance Scheme

Inspector of Housing Vacant Homes

Tipperary County Council

November 2018

YES

Waterford City and County Council

July 2018

NO

Covid-19 Champion in the Housing Department for Maintenance Section, dealing with the Repair and Lease Scheme in Housing Supply Team.

Westmeath County Council

July 2018

NO

Broadband Officer

Wexford County Council

July 2018

NO

Homeless Co-Ordinator,Private Rented Sector Enforcement of StandardsRAS Co-OrdinatorLeasing Co-OrdinatorRepair & Leasing Co-ordinatorAnnual and Monthly LG Returns

Wicklow County Council

December 2020

NO

Housing Maintenance

Private rented accommodation inspections including HAP, leasing & repair and lease inspections.

Housing Adaptation Grants

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