Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 49 together.

The sixth annual report of the Local Government Management Services Board, published in February 2011, which details service indicators in local authorities in 2009, shows the average time taken, from the date of vacating of a unit to the date when all necessary repairs are carried out, to re-let a unit in each authority. The figures show that some 4,286 dwellings were vacant, accounting for 3.4% of the total national social housing stock of around 126,000 units.

The length of time taken to re-let units varies considerably between authorities and ranges from as little as one week in Limerick City Council to as high as 45 weeks in South Tipperary County Council. I propose to circulate with the Official Report a tabular statement, based on the information set out in the report, outlining the time taken to re-let dwellings in all local authority areas.

It is a matter for each local authority, as an integral part of the management and maintenance of the social housing stock, to carry out any necessary pre-letting repairs and maintenance works to dwellings which are vacated by tenants in order to re-let the units to new tenants within the shortest possible timeframe. Under my Department's social housing investment programme, local authorities are allocated capital funding each year in respect of a range of measures to improve the standard and overall quality of the social housing stock. This includes the carrying out of repairs and refurbishment works on both occupied and vacant dwellings. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the level of resources to be directed towards refurbishing vacant properties from within the allocations notified to them.

The overall capital provision from my Department in respect of improvement works to the national housing stock for 2011 is €31 million. This does not include funding for large-scale regeneration projects and estate-wide remedial works projects which also include retrofitting and refurbishment works on vacant dwellings, for which a further provision of €172 million is being made this year. My Department's improvement works programme is specifically targeting vacant dwellings in 2011 with the objective of returning the maximum number of vacant units to productive use at reasonable cost. In the case of casual or short-term vacancies, a grant of up to €18,000 or 90% of cost, whichever is the lesser, is recouped to the local authority in respect of works to improve the standard and the energy efficiency of a dwelling.

In the case of properties which have remained vacant for a protracted period or properties which have fallen into a state of serious disrepair, a special measure is being introduced this year which will allow local authorities to claim up to €35,000 for each unit returned to productive use. Authorities are required to prepare an Improvement plan for vacant properties for 2011, outlining the number of vacant properties on hands and setting out the proposed measures to improve these properties.

My Department's records show that over the period 2004 to 2010 some €52 million was recouped to local authorities in respect of improvements works on vacant properties. I will also circulate with the Official Report a tabular statement setting out details in this regard.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

See this speech in context