Pat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I do not deny that the Minister is spending the capital funding on getting these homes back into use. My original understanding of Rebuilding Ireland was that we were looking at derelict buildings that had been boarded up for a long period, such as 18 months or two years, but now we are looking at houses that have been vacated by a long-standing tenant, who may have passed away, and that house needs replacement doors or windows, etc., to bring it up to modern standards. These houses are now included in the void figures but my understanding is that it is not a void. It is just a turnaround in tenants, and although I agree that it needs capital investment, it is misleading to consider it as a void.