Brendan Smith
Ceist:73. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will outline details of the Voids Programme for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54190/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 7 December 2023
Ceisteanna (73)
Freagraí scríofa
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.
Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties are compliant with the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations, 2019. Local authority officials and elected members have a very important role to play in this regard by making adequate budgetary provision for housing repairs and cyclical maintenance utilising the significant housing rental income available to them as part of the annual budgetary process.
Notwithstanding the legal obligation on local authorities, 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.
From 2014 to 2022, expenditure of almost €290 million was recouped to local authorities under the Voids Programme which funded the return to productive use of 20,834 properties nationwide. Work in relation to the 2023 programme is nearing completion, however, full details in relation to delivery under the 2023 Programme will not be available until early in 2024.
My Department will continue to support local authorities in their work in this area and funding allocations under the 2024 Programme will be announced early next year, however, given the very significant investment into the Programme over recent years local authorities should now be in a strong position to continue 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 Action 17.4 of the Housing for All Action Plan Update. 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.
Question No. 74 answered with Question No. 37.