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

It is a fair question. There is an issue with vacancy right across the country. One of the pathways in the Housing for All programme deals with vacancy. We will be providing significant funding to our local authorities to deal with vacancy through the Croí Cónaithe cities and towns funds, as well as through a new compulsory purchase order, CPO, programme. We will manage that through the Housing Agency, that is, to compulsorily purchase some of those vacant properties to get them back into use for first-time buyers. In addition, we will increase and expand the repair and leasing scheme, which I have already brought forward and is now in place. We have a detailed plan with regard to vacancy, backed by real finance, in Housing for All. That will apply to every city, town and village right across the country. There is no question but that current, existing stock that is not in use can be put to productive use. I intend to do that.

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