Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)

Today, the Government launched its housing plan. To be honest, the failure to date and the failure to mention any additional funding in the plan for voids leaves me with huge concern. I have raised this specific issue on a number of occasions in the Dáil. My council in Limerick is probably one of the better ones in dealing with voids, but it still cannot deal with the voids if it does not have funding to do it. A total of €11,000 on average is allocated per house to do voids up. Many of the houses are over 90 years old and some of them could be 100 years old. They need a lot more than €11,000, so they lie vacant for years.

These are not just homes that could be used to house families because when they are boarded up, they become magnets for antisocial behaviour. They lead to criminality and dumping, which often continues for years. Would the Tánaiste live next to one of these voids? I do not expect anyone to have to live next to one. They would not be tolerated in middle class areas across the State but they are put into local authority, working class council estates and often left for years because the council does not have the money to do them up. The Government's plan today does not have any additional money to deal with the voids. It is an average of €11,000. I have spoken to my local authority, which is beyond frustrated because it does not have the money to do it itself. It is the simplest way to put people back into homes.

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