John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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781. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to incentivise owners to get vacant properties back into usable housing stock in view of the excess of houses lying vacant due to the owners being in full-time care in the fair deal scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37087/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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There are a range of incentives available to property owners which are designed to increase the number of houses being brought back into the liveable housing stock.

The Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) has been developed to assist private property owners and local authorities or Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to harness the accommodation potential that exists in certain vacant properties across Ireland. The scheme is targeted at owners of vacant properties who cannot afford or access the funding needed to bring their properties up to the required standard for rental property. Subject to the suitability of the property for social housing, and the agreement of the property owner, the cost of the necessary repairs will be met upfront by the local authority or an AHB.

To further assist the re-activation of vacant properties, my Department introduced a Buy & Renew (B&R) Scheme to facilitate local authorities in acquiring and remediating vacant properties that may be suitable for social housing. The properties involved can range from those in good condition to those that need remediation and may have been vacant. To ensure a local-led response to such work, responsibility for property acquisitions is delegated to local authorities.

As with standard acquisitions, local authorities have delegated responsibility to utilise the B&R Scheme, as part of the blend of property acquisitions, as appropriate to their area, given housing need and the availability of properties of different types.

Further funding initiatives such as Long-Term Leasing, Home Renovation Incentives and Better Energy Homes Grants are also important in feeding into the re-introduction of vacant homes to the usable housing stock.

Similarly, my Department has, earlier this year, introduced new planning regulations which allow change of use, and related works, of certain vacant commercial premises, including “over the shop” type properties, into residential use without the need to obtain planning permission.

The Review of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS), also known as the "Fair Deal" Scheme, was published by the Minister for Health in July 2015. A Working Group is overseeing the implementation of its recommendations, including any legislative changes that may be required. In this regard, Action 17 of the Strategy for the Rental Sectorundertakes to examine the treatment under the NHSS’s financial assessment of income from the rental of a person’s principal private residence (PPR), where they move into long-term residential care. This examination aims to explore the potential to encourage vacant accommodation to be brought into active use.

My Department and the Department of Health are examining the treatment under the NHSS's financial assessment of income from the rental of a person’s principal private residence where they move into long-term residential care. In this context, the Department of Health has received legal advice to the effect that changes to the treatment of rental income in the Scheme would require primary legislation. A number of options for policy and legislative change have now been identified and will be the subject of further discussion and exploration between the two Departments with a view to eliminating any financial disincentives that may currently exist to letting homes while the owners are in nursing home care.

Discussions are also taking place between the two Departments with regard to the treatment of the proceeds from the sale of a principal private residence in the context of the financial assessment of applicants for the NHSS scheme and of existing participants within the scheme. The aim is to encourage relevant vacant properties back into active use.