Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 April 2022
658. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of staff members that are employed full-time equivalent in the vacant homes unit in his Department and if he will update on their work [20379/22]
View answer659. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is establishing a compulsory purchase order unit in his Department. [20380/22]
View answer660. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the establishment of a dereliction team in his Department; the number of staff members that are currently employed full-time focusing on dereliction; the number he plans to employ; and the timeline for delivery of this. [20381/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 658, 659 and 660 together.
Housing for All (published in September 2021) provides a new housing plan for Ireland to 2030 with the overall objective that every citizen in the State should have access to good quality homes through a steady supply of housing in the right locations, with economic, social and environmental sustainability built into the system. The strategy sets out, over four pathways, a broad suite of measures to achieve its policy objectives together with a financial commitment of in excess of €4 billion per annum.
Work underway by my Department, across the Planning and Housing Divisions, on a suite of measures under the pathway to addressing vacancy and efficient use of existing stock including:
- A new Town Centre First policy, which includes approaches to utilising existing stock and new financial incentive mechanisms.
- The Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund will be delivered by local authorities for the provision of serviced sites for housing, to attract people to build their own homes and to support the refurbishment of vacant properties, enabling people to live in small towns and villages, in a sustainable way.
- Funding support for the work of the Vacant Homes Office in local authorities including a vacant homes officer to ensure that vacant homes officers are full-time officers.
- A new local authority-led programme to help Local Authorities buy or compulsory purchase 2,500 vacant homes in their areas which can then be sold on the open market will ensure homes don’t lie vacant.
The provision of central funding for the Vacant Homes Office in local authorities reinforces their capacity at the local level, including through the important role of vacant homes officers, to ensure a dedicated focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction with a view to increasing the opportunities for residential development.
The detailed arrangements for the CPO programme are currently being developed, with the aim of advancing it this year, and it will build on the experience of many Local Authorities that already utilise CPO acquisitions in their delivery of new social homes through the Buy and Renew scheme. Significantly, a central advisory service is being established in The Housing Agency to assist Local Authorities with the process. This advisory support, will be in addition to the Vacant Homes unit being established within my Department, with an Assistant Principal Officer already appointed and recruitment of a dedicated Principal Officer underway, to co-ordinate the range of measures under the Housing for All pathway to addressing vacancy and efficient use of existing stock.
