Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 April 2017
66. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the progress that has been made on Action 5.1 of Rebuilding Ireland; the actions included in the range of actions to bring vacant units back into use; if he will consider the appointment of empty house officers in local authorities, as proposed by a charity (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16798/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraPillar 5 of the Government’s Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, published in July 2016, is specifically focused on Utilising Existing Housing Stock, with a key objective of ensuring that the existing vacant housing stock throughout the country and across all forms of tenure, in both the public and private sectors, is used to the optimum degree possible. In this regard, Action 5.1 of Rebuilding Ireland commits to the development of a National Vacant Housing Re-Use Strategy, informed by Census 2016 data, to
- inform the compilation of a register of vacant units across the country,
- identify the number, location and reasons for longer-term vacancies (i.e. over 6 months) in high demand areas, and
- set out a range of actions to bring vacant units back into re-use.
To this end, the Housing Agency, which has lead responsibility for coordinating the development of the Strategy, established a working group in September 2016, comprising senior representatives from my Department, local authorities and from the Housing Agency itself to inform the Strategy. The Working Group has met six times to date, and is presently concluding its deliberations, with a view to facilitating and incentivising the greater re-utilisation of vacant properties.
Pending finalisation of the Strategy in the coming weeks, it would be premature to speculate on specific recommendations that may be included.
