Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 May 2023
137. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of meetings he has had with directors of housing to discuss their readiness for phasing out of the voids return programme. [23531/23]
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.
Since 2014, Exchequer funding has also been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to supplement the local authority funding available for the preparation of vacant properties for re-letting. The funding was introduced originally to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted to support authorities to ensure minimal turnaround and re-let times for vacant stock. The emphasis is on minimum refurbishment works to comply with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 to ensure quick turnaround and re-letting times.
Given the very significant investment into the Voids Programme over recent years, local authority officials, including Directors of Services, have been notified of the policy objective, 20.6, as outlined in “Housing for All” and should now be in a strong position to begin the transition to a strategic and informed planned maintenance approach to stock management and maintenance.
To that end, I regularly meet with all chief executives and directors of services, including biannually at housing summits where vacancy in local authority housing stock is an agenda item. Separately officials from my Department are actively engaged in a steering group, hosted through the CCMA and attended by a number of directors, to actively progress the planned maintenance approach.
Notwithstanding the transition to Planned Maintenance, my Department will continue to support local authorities in their work in returning vacant units to productive use in 2023. This years Programme will provide funding of €31 million to Local Authorities to support the refurbishment and re-letting of a minimum of 2,300 vacant homes.
