Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

To conclude, it is a priority. We want to build more new homes. Covid has had an impact on output this year. I mentioned to colleagues earlier that between 16,000 and 18,000 house completions will happen this year, half, or even less, of which will be local authority completions between acquisitions, leasing and builds. There is even greater pressure to use the existing stock we have in a better way.

The frustration people feel when they see empty homes although they have been waiting for eight, nine or ten years on a housing list is palpable. I have visited many fine local authority developments that need to be refurbished. I recently visited one not too far from here, St. Mary's Mansions, which is a magnificent scheme run by Clúid. Fifty-six 70-year-old apartments have been fully refurbished and another two floors have been added to the building to create 80 apartments. People are again living in quality public housing in the centre of the city. That is what we want to see. We need to use the existing stock we have better.

Local authorities have responded. The local authorities in Cavan and Monaghan have responded very well to this, as have others. I encourage them to do as much as they can between now and the end of the year to bring these properties back into use.

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