David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response with respect to the fact that local authorities can apply to the Department for more funding to appoint more full-time vacant homes officers. I stress the word "full-time", that they do not do any other job but that, and that would be a condition of this. In the past, I was told they had ten other jobs and this was the bottom of the list.

We need these officers to go out there and to tap on the shoulders of people who own houses that are empty and properties that are derelict, and invite them to talk and let us get this up and running. Would the Minister of State confirm that if Cork County Council applies to the Department for, say, one officer in each municipal district, of which there are eight, ten or 12, that application would be looked on favourably?

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