Thomas Gould
Question:777. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a vacancy will be tracked using energy usage; and if his Department is engaged in developing this system [41595/22]
View answerTuesday, 26 July 2022
Questions (777)
Written answers
In addition to the recent data provided through the preliminary analysis of the Local Property Tax (LPT) 2022 and Census 2022, my Department is currently reviewing additional opportunities to harness vacancy data. This will include working with the Vacant Homes Officer in each local authority to monitor and assess vacancy data locally, including potentially through field based surveys.
My Department does not have access to data on energy usage by individual homes. It should be noted that the Statistics Act restricts the use of individual data collected for statistical compilation only. This data is strictly confidential and used exclusively for statistical purposes.
On the 14 July, my Department launched the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund. The fund is initially focused on supporting refurbishment of vacant homes in regional towns and villages. The Fund is being delivered by local authorities, and will provide new choices for people to live in towns and villages in Ireland, initially through the provision of a grant to support the refurbishment of vacant properties, with priority given to areas where the level of vacancy or dereliction is high.
For the purposes of this scheme, a property is deemed to be vacant if it has been vacant and unoccupied for a period of two years or more. Confirmation of vacancy can be validated and verified by the use of, for example, utility bills which may be submitted by the homeowner and which can help determine vacancy periods (e.g. pattern of usage or disconnection) or such other proofs as are available to the satisfaction of the local authority. Confirmation of vacancy must be validated and verified by the local authority prior to grant approval.