Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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342. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government what statutory powers vacant homes officers in local authorities have; to provide a list of local authorities with vacant homes officers in place; if each of those is a full-time dedicated vacant homes officer; if not, if they have other duties; if there are any local authorities without such roles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52516/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a a key priority for Government, as set out in Pathway 4 of Housing for All. In January 2022, my Department communicated with local authorities outlining that funding, made available since 2018 to support the work of a Vacant Homes Office including a Vacant Homes Officer (VHO), would be increased from €50,000 to €60,000 per annum, from mid-2022.

This supports the commitment in Housing for All to ensure that VHOs are full-time. The provision of central funding reinforces the capacity of local authorities, including through the important role of VHOs, to ensure a dedicated focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction with a view to increasing the opportunities for residential development.

All 31 local authorities now have a full time, dedicated VHO in place.

The role of the VHO in each local authority is:

• To actively promote and lead the uptake within the local authority of various initiatives, schemes and funding programmes to address vacancy and bring vacant properties into residential use;
• To actively engage with owners of vacant properties and other relevant stakeholders and promote use of relevant schemes and supports to bring vacant properties into use;
• To collect, monitor and assess vacancy data locally and use that data to actively engage with property owners and promote schemes to encourage activation of properties; and
• Play a communication, promotion and advisory role both internally within the local authority and externally as a contact point for members of the public and key interested parties on vacant homes/properties.

While my Department has a role in strategic workforce planning within the local government sector, Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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343. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government what guidance has been provided to local authorities for the role of a vacant homes officer; if he will provide a copy of any memos, circulars or guidance provided since 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52517/23]

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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344. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government what powers local authorities have to ensure that units in apartments controlled or owned by investment funds are not kept deliberately vacant; if vacant homes officers are allowed to investigate the level of vacancy in apartment complexes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52518/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government, as set out in Pathway 4 of Housing for All.

As part of the Vacant Homes Action Plan, a new CPO Activation Programme was launched in April. The Programme supports a proactive, planned and systematic approach by local authorities to the activation of vacant and derelict properties which they have identified, bringing them back into use as homes. It also includes guidance and supports for local authorities to actively use their legislative powers to acquire vacant and derelict properties, where engagement with owners has been unsuccessful.

Overall, there is a target of 4,000 properties entering the CPO Activation Programme in 2023. Of these, a target of 400 has been set for properties to enter the compulsory acquisition process, where engagement with the owner has not resulted in the vacant or derelict property being brought back into use. Individual targets have been set for each local authority for 2023.

A Vacancy Survey project, supported by the Department commenced in December 2022, the objective of which is to capture data on the number of vacant dwellings in each local authority. The information captured through the survey provides each local authority with a database of vacant and derelict properties, which can be added to on an on-going basis, when vacant properties are identified, including those in apartment complexes. This can be used by local authorities to commence work to activate those properties, engaging with owners and communicating with them regarding the schemes available to support bringing them back into use. It is acknowledged however, that gaining access to apartment complexes to identify and investigate vacancy does pose challenges.

With the introduction of the Vacant Homes Tax, the State now has the power to levy a tax on vacant properties. The key objective of the tax is to encourage the owners of vacant residential properties to bring those properties back into use. The tax applies to residential properties, including apartments, which are occupied for less than 30 days in a twelve-month period. The first chargeable period for Vacant Homes Tax is 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2023. The first self-assessed returns were due on 7 November this year and the tax will be payable on 1 January 2024. In Budget 2024, the Minister for Finance announced that the rate of the Vacant Homes Tax will increase from three times to five times the property’s existing base Local Property Tax charge. The increase will take effect from the next chargeable period, commencing on 1 November 2023.