Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 November 2023
139. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the voids programme for 2024 will be finalised; the national allocation; the funding that will be made available for Cavan County Council and Monaghan County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49035/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra163. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ensure that the significant investment in the voids programme over recent years will be continued in 2024, in view of the importance of this programme in bringing back vacant housing stock to habitable use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49036/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 163 together.
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 supplement the local authority funding available for the preparation of vacant properties for re-letting. The funding was introduced originally to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted to support authorities to ensure minimal turnaround and re-let times for vacant stock.
An annualised breakdown by local authority including Cavan and Monaghan, 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 2024 will be announced early next year. Notwithstanding the voids funding being provided by my Department, local authorities have a responsibility to provide adequate housing maintenance budgets for 2024 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.
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. This process has continued this year as a further €5 million in funding has been ring-fenced for Planned Maintenance under this year's Planned Maintenance/Voids Programme to support an element of planned maintenance works, the implementation of an ICT asset management system for the local authority sector and to provide a funding contribution for the commencement of stock condition surveys.
