Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

We fundamentally agree with the Deputy that turning around vacant homes in a quicker manner, particularly turning around council stock in a quicker manner, is really important. It is one of the specific items we bring up each time we meet with local authority chief executives. We had four meetings in the past couple of weeks. We will meet with the Deputy's local authority very shortly. I am happy to have a conversation if there are funding issues we can assist with, but I would make the point that the figure of €11,000 does not include, obviously, additional money that is available through retrofitting, for example, which a lot of the voids might require.

There is a significant discrepancy, both around cost and time, across the country. In a country as small as our island, we are seeing some councils taking over one year to turn around a void, while some - I take the Deputy's point that his council is very good in this regard – have it done in less than 16 weeks. I will specifically engage with the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, with regard to Limerick on foot of the Deputy raising it and I will come back to him.

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