Written answers

Wednesday, 28 January 2015

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Local Authority Housing Provision

Photo of Seán KyneSeán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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14. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the progress of restoring and renewing the local authority housing stock to ensure maximum availability of accommodation, with particular reference to counties Galway and Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3627/15]

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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In 2014 my Department provided funding of in excess of €26 million to support local authorities in their work to return over 2,300 vacant social housing units back to productive use. The three local authorities in Counties Galway and Mayo received funding of almost €1.9 million under this programme and returned 182 properties back to productive use. The funding provided by my Department to return these properties to use is capped at €30,000 per social housing unit.

The effective management of vacant and boarded up social housing units is a key aspect of achieving best practice and value for money in housing management, to assist local authorities in making best use of their existing stock. For 2015, I will provide support to local authorities to target a further 1,000 such units and the aim over the lifetime of the Social Housing Strategy 2020is to return 2,300 units to productive use. I have also outlined in the Strategy that my Department will link future funding to the measured performance of local authorities on their ability to return vacant units to use and to put in place on-going maintenance programmes.

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