Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

In 2014, there were 2,333 voids. Voids are local authority houses that have been boarded up for a long time with nobody living in them. They are houses that have been brought back into use for families. In 2014, the figure was 2,333; in 2015, it was 2,829, which is the figure on which this eightfold increase is based; in 2016, it was 2,308; in 2017, it was 1,757; and in 2018, it was 560. I know for a fact there are many empty local authority houses in my council area that could provide homes for people. They should be counted, regardless of whatever explanation for not doing so the Minister of State will provide. They should not be left empty. If it means the Department getting together with local authorities and deciding that specific money has to be allocated, those homes should be brought back into use. Councils have empty council houses while there are 100,000 people on housing lists.

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