Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I warmly support the amendment in the name of Deputy Ellis. It is extremely frustrating for communities, particularly people on housing lists, and public representatives to see homes being boarded up month after month. Questions arose in the Dublin City Council administrative area about the efficiency of the maintenance departments in councils and the effectiveness of their estate management, because some boarded-up houses would have been houses that families subjected to terrible antisocial behaviour had had to flee - for example, corner houses in badly designed estates, particularly those designed in the 1970s and 1980s. There are many issues around this but most people would feel that targets for local authorities should be enshrined in a housing Bill. The Minister of State told me yesterday that there are 3,016 vacant properties across the 31 new city and county councils. She told me she had allocated €15 million in April 2014 to refurbish 952, or approximately one-third, of those properties. I note that she allocated €3.3 million to Dublin City Council for 135 units and €1.26 million to Fingal County Council for 95 properties. I note that the new chief executive of Fingal County Council, Paul Reid, told me that the council is hoping to refurbish 120 vacant properties. I also note that 49 refurbishments are planned in County Kildare, at a cost of €700,000, and 12 refurbishments are planned in County Offaly, at a cost of €250,000. However one does the sums, the bottom line is that it is not enough money. The Minister of State said yesterday that she would provide a further €20 million for vacant units, but this still means that up to one-third of the units will still lie vacant for a lengthy period. As many Deputies have said, we have heard the refrain "Let me into that house and we will refurbish it," for years and years. People talk about how they have carpenters, brickies or plasterers in the family. We have heard that plaintive plea for a home down through the years. I strongly support the amendment.

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