Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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523. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the use of a disused Garda station in Killarney, County Kerry to deal with the homeless situation (details supplied) in Killarney; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48901/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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On 20 May 2014, the Implementation Plan on the State's Response to Homelessnesswas published in which the Government's approach to delivery on its objective of ending involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016 was outlined. A copy of this plan is available on my Department's website at.

Bringing vacant local authority properties back into productive use as quickly as possible is one of the critical actions in the implementation plan and steps are being taken across the country to bring over 1,800 such units into use before year end.

Other suitable vacant residential properties in State ownership are also being considered to be brought into productive use as quickly as possible and my Department has been engaging with key State property stakeholders including OPW, the Department of Defence, the HSE and the Irish Prison Service as well as Dublin City Council and the Housing Agency for this purpose.The objective is to maximise the number of housing units available across the country so as to address the housing need of homeless households; the focus initially is on units in the Dublin region.

In the Action Plan to Address Homelessnesswhich I launched last week, all Dublin housing authorities are considering properties in their area, including those listed on the intra-State Property Asset Register, with a view to utilising all potential properties for housing purposes on an emergency basis. Housing authorities across the country have access to this Register, currently being populated with property data, where details of all State properties including vacant properties are identified, which authorities may consider for housing purposes.

I understand that the property in question was sold earlier this year. It is a matter for Kerry County Council to consider other vacant State properties identified on the Register and their potential use for housing purposes in its area.