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

I thank the Minister of State for his response and acknowledge the good work in this area. I agree with him that there is great potential to provide homes for people in buildings that already exist, which is the easiest approach.

Is there a register of vacant and derelict properties in each local authority? If so, are they publicly available? Does the Department have access to the registers? Are vacant homes officers now active in each local authority area? If so, are they working exclusively on vacant homes?

With regard to Cork County Council, which oversees the biggest county in the country, does the Minister of State accept that Cork needs more vacant homes officers than counties that are far smaller to cover the huge area involved?

Could the Minister of State clarify the position on shops? In many of our towns, former shops have been boarded up and locked up. What action is being taken to bring them back into use as residences?

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