James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I thank all Members for their contributions. I echo the comments made by the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, and reassert this Government's commitment to tackling the challenges in the housing sector. I will highlight the steps being taken by the Government to minimise vacancy and to ensure strategic and informed programmes of planned maintenance work for local authority housing are implemented and support by stock condition data and the appropriate ICT asset management solution. The completion of the roll-out of the ICT solution to all 31 of our local authorities has occurred in the past few weeks and is an important step.

Furthermore, since 2014, Exchequer funding has been provided through my Department's voids programme to support local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting. This funding was initially introduced to tackle long-term vacant units and is now, in light of urgent housing needs, increasingly targeted at ensuring minimal turnaround and re-let times for local authority vacant stock. Vacant properties need to be refurnished and re-let as quickly as possible, with the emphasis only on those works that are necessary to ensure compliance with the housing regulations of 2019. Works that may be desirable but not necessary to meet those letting standards should not delay the re-let and can instead be carried out later under a planned maintenance programme. Prioritising such work on vacant units ahead of similar works required on homes occupied by tenants is not advised or supported by my Department because it is contrary to the principle of good stock management through regular planned maintenance.

I will be looking at the overall picture in respect of funding local authorities for voids management and planned maintenance, coupled with various other local authority stock improvement programmes by my Department. Since 2013 until the end of 2024, under the planned maintenance voids programme, the energy efficiency programme, including the midlands pilot, and the disabled persons grant scheme, local authorities have received just shy of €1 billion in Exchequer funding. That is substantial State support.

With specific reference to voids, however, it should be borne in mind that there is no upper cap on the amount that can be spent or recouped on an individual dwelling, provided the total amount averaged across all dwellings-----

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