Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Solving the current housing crisis will certainly require the most innovative solutions. The Minister of State made reference to the vacanthomes.iewebsite, which was developed by Mayo County Council. That provides a starting point of contact for each local authority. I acknowledge Tom Gilligan, the website's founder, and his work in this area. Maybe it would also be useful to develop a website into a one-stop-shop model highlighting the various grants and incentives in place to alleviate the vacancy crisis. The Department should prioritise this and expand the vacanthomes.iewebsite.

Finally, extending the first-time buyer's initiatives to vacant and derelict homes will significantly help young people across the country, especially in County Mayo, looking to buy and renovate their own homes. I welcome that initiative.

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