Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 November 2021
7. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant properties and houses across the State as of 2021; and the number of vacant properties that are State-owned. [54715/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAddressing vacancy and maximising the use of existing housing stock is a primary concern of this Government, as demonstrated by one of the four pathways dedicated solely to this priority area in the new Housing for All strategy. The most recent figures available from Census 2016 indicate that there were 183,000 vacant homes nationwide, a 20% reduction on figures reported in Census 2011 (230,000).
However, work is underway by the Department of Finance through the current Local Property Tax returns to assess the present vacancy situation and once collated and analysed this data will contribute to a number of policy initiatives outlined in Housing for All, including:
- A new local authority-led programme to help Local Authorities buy or compulsory purchase 2,500 vacant homes in their areas which can then be sold on the open market will ensure homes don’t lie vacant.
- Reform of the Fair Deal Scheme to remove disincentives to selling or renting unused homes.
- The Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund will be delivered by local authorities for the provision of serviced sites for housing, to attract people to build their own homes and to support the refurbishment of vacant properties, enabling people to live in small towns and villages, in a sustainable way.
- A new Town Centre First policy, which will include approaches to utilising existing stock and new financial incentive mechanisms.
These measures are in addition to the vacant property tax consideration being pursued by the Department of Finance.
Statistics in relation to social housing stock, at a point in time, are published by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in their Annual Reports on Performance Indicators in Local Authorities. These reports provide a range of information in relation to social housing stock, including levels of vacancy in local authority owned properties. The most recent report, relating to 2020, is available on the NOAC website.
