Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Before I go to the Minister of State, I have a few points I wish to make myself. I have written to the Minister about a street in the town of Dunmanway on which a number of houses are owned by the local authority. One was purchased in 1999 and was never fitted out or allocated; it was knocked approximately two months ago. Other houses became vacant as tenants moved on. In some cases, the houses were in exceptional condition and one could literally hand the key to another tenant. The houses have not been visited, save to survey them, since they were vacated. This gives rise to a number of issues. The condition of a vacant house deteriorates all the time. Most critically, the needs of those on the housing list are not being met. The local authority is losing out on rent that would accrue from that.

Circumstances are horrific. One house is vacant since 1998. Other houses are vacant for periods running well into double figures. The local authority will do a survey but there is no need to do so; the houses now need to be renovated and allocated. The practice of local authorities impinges on the efforts of tidy towns committees in various towns and urban centres through the country. The Department needs to issue a directive to local authorities. Trying to solve the problem locally on the ground is extremely frustrating. The only way we will see action to prevent local authority houses from being left idle is if the action is from the top down. The Department needs to take the lead on this. Other members in the room could probably share similar stories, but the case I describe is particularly galling. People need to be housed although the local authority is doing very little to renovate or make ready for allocation houses that are falling down.