James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

We will continue doing everything in our power to minimise turnaround times, as referenced in the programme for Government, with the proposed introduction of a new voids programme to support local authorities to ensure their homes comply with the relevant standards and to provide good comfort levels for their tenants and implement strategic programmes for planned maintenance informed by stock condition surveys. When these houses are made vacant, there are families who have just been living in them. How it can take months and years to put new families into those houses in incomprehensible. It should not be happening. As the Minister, I will ensure that local authorities do not indulge in these delays any more. If a family is moving out, a health and safety assessment and basic repairs should be carried out, but leaving houses vacant for months and years on end is not on the Government but on the local authority.

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