Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to take part in the debate. First, I offer my condolences to those who have lost their loved ones to the coronavirus during the past week. I also take this opportunity to thank all the heroic front-line staff who have been magnificent in helping to keep all of us safe during these very challenging times. Finally, I thank the Irish people for their continuing support in our fight to eradicate this awful disease. The fact that the numbers dying and contradicting the virus continue to drop dramatically only proves once more the determination and willpower of all the people to succeed.

In my home county of Louth, in the region of 100 homes owned by the local council are currently lying vacant. They are in a state of disrepair and require work to bring them up to the standard for families to live in them. I have spoken to council officials on many occasions regarding this matter and they have constantly told me that the council has not been given the funds by the Government to bring these homes up to the standard where families could live in them. Many of these homes are in established residential areas where community services exist, including schools, health centres and shops. These homes should be brought back into the housing stock immediately. It is a disgrace that these homes continue to lie idle and fall into further disrepair. There is a danger that many of them will become dens for drug addicts and alcoholics. I cannot understand why the Government will not provide the council with the funds to bring these homes back into the housing stock. Surely it would be more cost effective to retrofit these homes and bring them up to standard, rather than going ahead and putting in new homes, which seems to be what is happening. Those homes in County Louth would take 100 families off the county council housing list. That is 100 families who would now have a home and be moved from the homeless list. Why can this not be done immediately? Can the Minister of State confirm how many homes Louth County Council currently owns that are vacant because of disrepair? Can he also confirm what plans the council has for these homes?

Will the Minister of State also confirm what funds the Government is committed to providing to Louth County Council over the coming 18 months to provide new homes and refurbish others under the Rebuilding Ireland scheme?

It is clear that the housing crisis has been handled badly by this Government. Too much support was given to private developments to solve the housing crisis when we should have concentrated more on development solutions for the county councils. As a small token of the Government's commitment to solving the housing crisis, there is an opportunity to support Louth County Council and bring these houses back to the housing stock. Will the Minister of State confirm that he, or his Department, will help and support Louth County Council in taking these vacant houses back to the housing stock?

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