John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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With regard to housing stock in local authorities, is that something the Department monitors? A considerable number of houses are currently boarded up and not allocated. Therefore, there is a loss of rent and potential accommodation for the thousands of people on the housing list. How does the Department monitor that in each local authority and ensure there is a turnover in the housing stock, so when houses are vacant they are allocated quickly? Is there a trend whereby local authorities are finding it difficult to provide the funding to refurbish these vacant houses as they become vacant and therefore cannot let them within a reasonable length of time? Is that an issue?