Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
668. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of local authority homes that have been brought back into use under the voids programme since the formation of the Government on a local authority basis in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44098/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
In 2020, the first year of this Government, record funding was provided to local authorities by my Department under the Voids Programme where almost €56.5 million in funding was recouped to local authorities for the remediation of 3,607 properties. There was another significant Voids Programme in 2021 with funding of over €32 million for the remediation of 2,425 properties.
An annualised breakdown by local authority of the funding provided and the number of properties remediated under the Voids programme for the years 2014-2021 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
Under the 2022 Voids Programme, funding of €25 million has been made available across the local authorities for the remediation of 2,273 properties.
Given the very significant investment into the Voids Programme over recent years, particularly in 2020 and in 2021, local authorities 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, my Department and local authorities are working to transition from a largely response and voids based approach to housing stock management and maintenance, to a planned maintenance approach as referenced in Housing for All, policy objective 20.6. This will require the completion of stock condition surveys by all local authorities and the subsequent development of strategic and informed work programmes in response. My Department will support these work programmes by ensuring that the funding available under the various stock improvement programmes is aligned with this approach.
