Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 1 February 2017

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Derelict Sites and Underused Spaces: Discussion

9:30 am

Photo of Eoin Ó BroinEoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Of 221 properties from that mix that have been deemed unsuitable, obviously a portion of them have been deemed to be unsuitable because they are in areas with an overconcentration of social housing. The rapid-build homes that local authorities are approving are all in areas with a high concentration of social housing and the same applies to the new builds. Are different criteria being applied for overconcentration here? I would assume that some of those 221 properties, which are in areas that are deemed to be overconcentrated, are in private estates which probably do not have more than 10% social housing. I ask Mr. O'Connor to allay concerns some politicians may have that properties that are suitable in terms of the unit may not be deemed suitable because of political or community sensitivities because it would be over the 10% or 20% social housing, whereas in other areas of social housing provision that is not a criterion that is applied.

Of the properties that the Housing Agency has not bid for and which have not been deemed unsuitable, how many are still there? Is the problem that it does not have enough money to move to acquire those at this stage or is something else going on?

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