Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2023
398. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant and derelict homes brought back into use for each year from 2020 to 2023, in tabular form, under the following schemes with a breakdown by local authority - buy and renew, repair and lease, ready to build, refurbishment grant, CPO activation, UDF €150 million fund and over-shop/pub planning exemptions. [29795/23]
View answer399. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the targets for vacant and derelict homes to be brought back into use for each year from 2023 to 2026, in tabular form, under the following schemes with a breakdown by local authority - buy and renew, repair and lease, ready to build, refurbishment grant, CPO activation, UDF €150 million fund and over-shop/pub planning exemptions. [29796/23]
View answer401. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a breakdown of the targets, per local authority, for each of the Housing For All initiatives targeting vacancy and dereliction. [29832/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 398, 399 and 401 together.
Tackling vacancy is a key priority for this Government and a suite of measures has been introduced to address vacancy and increase the pace at which properties are brought back into use.
The Vacant Homes Action Plan, which I launched in January, outlines the significant progress that has been made in addressing vacancy, along with the actions that are being pursued to return as many vacant properties back into use as possible.
My Department recently launched a new CPO Activation Programme, which provides for a planned, proactive and systematic approach by local authorities to bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. Targets have been set for each local authority for vacant and derelict properties to be activated, with targets also set for the compulsory acquisition of properties where owners fail to engage in bringing their property in to use. This Programme includes guidance and supports for local authorities to actively use their legislative powers to compulsorily acquire vacant and derelict properties, where engagement with owners has been unsuccessful.
My Department will be collating data in relation to the number of properties entering the programme, activity being undertaken and outcomes in relation to these properties. This will include data on the scheme or support used e.g. the Repair and Leasing Scheme, Buy and Renew, Ready to Build, Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, Compulsory Purchase, to bring the property back into use. Once compiled, this data will be published.
Details in respect of proposed targets under the various schemes along with information on the number of properties brought back into use are detailed in the table attached.
|
Vacancy Initiative |
Overall Targets |
Targets by Local Authority |
Units Delivered |
|
CPO Activation Programme |
4,000 properties to enter the Programme in 2023. Of these, a target of 400 to enter the compulsory acquisition process. |
The Department has published targets for each local authority which can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/5a725-compulsory-purchase-orders-cpo-activation-programme/ |
N/a |
|
Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund |
2,000 homes to be delivered by 2025 under the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and Ready to Build Scheme. |
N/a |
The Department publishes data on number of applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant on its website on a quarterly basis, which can be accessed at the following link: gov.ie - Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant statistics (www.gov.ie) |
|
Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) Call 3 |
Following consultation with the local authority sector, the administrative arrangements for this round of funding are currently being finalised, with approved programmes and allocations due to be notified to local authorities in the coming weeks. |
N/a |
N/a |
|
Repair and Leasing |
There is an overall target of 660 units to be provided under the scheme up to 2026. |
N/a |
Delivery under the Repair and Leasing Scheme in respect of all local authorities to end 2022 is published on the Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/#repair-and-leasing-scheme-rls. |
|
Buy and Renew |
There are no specific targets issued to local authorities in respect of the Buy and Renew Scheme. |
N/a |
To date, in excess of 800 Units have been delivered through Buy and Renew since 2016. |
|
Planning Exemption Notifications |
There are no specific targets issued to local authorities in respect of the Planning Exemption Notifications. |
N/a |
Since 2018, almost 900 notifications have been received in relation to properties where it was intended to provide such conversions, resulting in over 2,000 new homes being provided under the planning exemption. The Department, in conjunction with the local authorities, is undertaking a survey of the notified properties to confirm that development has proceeded and homes provided. |
