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. This programme is in addition to the funding provided through the local authorities own resources.
An annualised breakdown by local authority, of the funding provided and the number of properties remediated under the Voids programme for the years 2014 up to and including 2022 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
My Department will continue to support local authorities in their work in this area. Funding allocations under the Planned Maintenance/Voids Programme 2023 have issued to all Local Authorities which will see a minimum of 2,300 dwellings remediated and returned to productive use this year. Notwithstanding the voids funding being provided by my Department, local authorities have a responsibility to provide adequate housing maintenance budgets for 2023 and this parallel work by local authorities is essential for the development of the planned maintenance approach, which is an objective of Housing for All.
Details in relation to the allocation of these properties are not routinely collated by my Department. The allocation of social housing support to qualified households is a matter for the housing authority concerned in accordance with the authority’s allocation scheme made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Social Housing Allocation Regulations 2011.
