Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 January 2023
486. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of money requested by those in County Westmeath under the voids programme in 2020; the number of units proposed to be refurbished in County Westmeath; the amount allocated to County Westmeath from this fund in 2020; and the number of units to be refurbished in County Westmeath in tabular form. [63556/22]
View answer491. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of money requested by those in County Longford under the voids programme in 2020; the number of units proposed to be refurbished in County Longford; the amount allocated to County Longford from this fund in 2020; and the number of units to be refurbished in County Longford in tabular form. [63562/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 486 and 491 together.
The 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 initially introduced to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted at ensuring minimal turnaround and re-let times for local authority vacant stock.
An annualised breakdown by local authority of the funding provided and the number of properties remediated under the Voids programme for the years 2014-2021 is available on my Department's website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/0906a-other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics/#voids-programme.
Details of the 2022 Voids Programme, in relation to the funding provided and number of units remediated, will be made available on my Department's website shortly.
Details of the 2023 Voids Programme will be issued to local authorities in early 2023.
