Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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470. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of vacant social housing units in each housing area; and the percentage of total housing stock made up of vacant properties in each area. [19297/15]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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471. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number and location of social housing voids which are planned to be removed from housing stock and are due to be demolished; if he will provide details on any cost estimates of making these voids active; and if he will provide an indicative time frame for the demolishment of these voids. [19298/15]

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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474. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the funding that has been allocated to each local authority for refurbishing void social houses; the amount of money that has been provided to date to each local authority for refurbishing void social houses; the number of void social houses each local authority is expected to refurbish using the allocated funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19354/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 470, 471 and 474 together.

General statistics on local authority housing stock, including vacant social housing units, are published annually by the Local Government Management Agency. The most recent statistics are the Service Indicators in Local Authorities 2013 which are available on the following website.

The table below shows the number of units returned to productive use in 2014 and the funding provided to local authorities by my Department for this work. I will announce details shortly of the 2015 funding for local authorities to address vacant social housing units, including the breakdown of the targets and funding for each authority.

In relation to the consideration of the demolition of vacant social housing units, it is a matter in the first instance for local authorities to identify units that might be derelict and where demolition may be an appropriate option. Demolition of social housing units would be an unusual step and would normally only arise in the context of an overall approach – such as regeneration of an area - agreed with my Department. There is no programme or policy to deal with vacant units by way of demolition.