Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is not often one gets an opportunity to praise one's council's officials and former officials. Mr. Conn Murray was the manager in Louth for a successful period. Mr. Joe McGuinness has been fantastic in his commitment and the work he has done in County Louth in respect of CPOs, as has Mr. Paddy Donnelly. They are changing roles at the moment. The benchmark for efficiency and accountability is what Louth County Council is doing on housing. I was glad to hear Deputy Darragh O'Brien praising the work in County Louth.

I have said a number of times in this committee that the CPO project needs a national lead. I have also said it to the Minister. We ought to have somebody in charge of CPO nationally for the councils that are not doing their job. I am not naming any council here other than Louth, which is doing a great job. We could get 2,000 to 3,000 homes in the space of 18 months if it was properly led with the enthusiasm and commitment shown in Louth County Council. I have travelled around my town with a housing body and the body has picked up a number of homes and is refurbishing them. The easy win is where one has the services and one does not have to open up any land. One has to reconstruct or rebuild the property but all the services, such as the footpaths, roads, lighting, sewerage and water, are in place so it is a cheaper operation. The witnesses can confirm this but I believe the average cost was €100,000 to €110,000 for the CPO purchase from start to finish. That included all legal and reconstruction or refurbishment costs.

That is very advantageous to the taxpayer and to the families who go in there. It is a real blindspot in other counties and has to be driven. I would appreciate the views of the witnesses because every town centre is full of properties that could be activated. Do the council officials feel there is a need to, or what do they do, to generate business in this area?

I know the council identifies empty homes that are boarded up and there is a website for that. How active are councils where properties are unoccupied particularly in town centres or in brownfield areas in chasing up the owners to see what they are doing with them and engage with them? What incentives are available to property owners even if they are commercial properties to make them into family homes or one or two bedroom units? That would make a huge difference.

I wonder if any of my colleagues from the county council remember – I might have served even longer than they have – when people were on the housing list for one year before getting a house. That went out to maybe three years, when Fianna Fáil was in power.