Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I share the Deputy's concern about the vacancy level in certain parts of the country, particularly in the smaller urban areas and small towns and villages. When the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, announced a package to respond to the Ukraine crisis and the wider housing crisis in April, he changed the measures under which people can apply for funding to refurbish vacant homes. He made it easier to access the funding. I hope that will allow the work to start in this regard.

There are now over 1,200 Ukrainians living in pledged accommodation across the country. Some 2,500 vacant units are being considered by local authorities at the moment. We notified the local authorities of these and they are working to move Ukrainians into them.

On shared accommodation, the vetting process is under way. Protection is obviously important where it is proposed to move a child or vulnerable adult into a house. Zoom calls, during which people show their identification to a vetter, are taking place.

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