Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 407: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of vacant social housing units in each local authority; the average period of vacancy; the average time taken by each local authority to restore and re-allocate a property which comes back into its possession; the estimated loss of revenue to local authorities where social housing units remain vacant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22748/10]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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Information in relation to vacant local authority houses is a Local Authority Service Indicator and reports on these indicators are available on the Local Government Management Services Board's website www.lgmsb.ie. The latest available figures relate to 2008. The 2008 data show a significant improvement (i.e. decrease) in the level of local authority housing stock that is vacant. The 2007 report showed that a total of 5,090 dwellings, excluding those that were subject to major refurbishment programmes, were empty. This represented 4.3% of the total stock of 118,000 dwellings. The 2008 report shows a decrease of 1,231 on the 2007 total – a 24% improvement – bringing the number of vacant units down nationally to 3,859 (3.15%). The performance of local authorities in this regard is comparable with that of other jurisdictions and can also be improved upon. To support further improvement, the Local Government Audit service is finalising a Value for Money study on housing management and maintenance, which will include specific recommendations on how best practice can be achieved.

In addition, in order to achieve energy efficiency improvements, a fund of €20 million was set aside under my Department's Social Housing Investment Programme in 2009 to provide co-funding for the retrofitting of vacant properties, both casual and planned, across local authority housing stock. This retrofitting provision has doubled to €40 million in 2010 and will continue to have a positive impact on the ability of local authorities to deal with vacant stock.

Under section 58 of the Housing Act 1966, the management and maintenance of local authority housing stock is a matter for individual authorities. My Department has no information on the estimated loss of revenue to local authorities where units remain vacant. It is a matter for each local authority to manage its own budget and prioritise its own spending, within the resources available to it, across the range of services it provides. Equally, local authorities must ensure full value for money for the resources invested, and seek the maximum efficiency across their operations.