Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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145. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of vacant homes in possession in each of the State-backed banks in each of the past ten months; his plans to use these homes to alleviate the housing crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38164/16]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I am firmly of the view that the Irish banking system has an important role to play in the normalisation of the Irish housing sector through the speedy return of properties in their possession to the general market. I am also conscious that where a bank comes into possession of a property the institution has a fiduciary responsibility to dispose of the property in a manner that satisfies its independent, commercial mandate. However I welcome the fact that this is now also happening through interaction with the Housing Agency, local authorities or other means.

As the deputy is aware, the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government this summer launched Rebuilding Ireland, the Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. The Action plan represents a whole of government response to the issues in the housing market with actionable measures across a wide range areas, designed to stimulate housing supply and remove many of the barriers to a normally functioning market.

The Department does not have the information requested by the Deputy however I have received the following responses from the three banks in which the State has a shareholding:

AIB has advised that all disclosures in relation to AIB's residential mortgages and properties in possession can be found on page 53 of AIB's Half-Yearly Financial Report 2016. It is the bank's policy to sell all assets on a vacant possession basis. AIB has engaged directly with the Housing Agency to provide a list of more than 500 properties for consideration. As at end of November the Housing Agency has expressed an interest in over 200 of these properties. AIB also noted that the bank continues to work directly with the Housing Agency to ensure all suitable properties are made available for consideration.

Permanent TSB has advised me that the data requested by the deputy is not readily available for each of the past 10 months. However they indicate that on the latest practicable date (25 November 2016) the total possession stock was 466 units. The bank stated that, allowing for tenanted units, student accommodation and derelict units the number of vacant homes would be approximately 422 units.

According to Bank of Ireland, all regulatory required disclosures for Bank of Ireland, including those related to property, can be found in their annual report.