Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

19. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the overall funding allocated to the 31 local authorities for void refurbishment in 2017 and to date in 2018; the conditions attached to receiving funding for a void refurbishment; if he is satisfied that this scheme has been given the necessary budget to be a success; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39100/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Under my Department's Voids Programme, funding is provided to support local authorities in remediating those social housing homes that may require a greater level of investment than the normal level of pre-letting repairs that local authorities would ordinarily carry out, as part of their on-going repair and maintenance of local authority housing.

During 2017, my Department provided funding of almost €24.7 million to local authorities to enable them to bring some 1,757 properties back to productive use under the programme. 

Local authorities are actively encouraged to ensure that all vacant properties are brought back into active use as expeditiously as possible and to assist in this regard, my Department has approved some 1,470 properties for funding under the Voids Programme this year. To the end of Q2 2018 some 387 vacant units were returned to productive use and €4.5m was drawn down by local authorities through the Voids Programme.

The works carried out focus not just on returning vacant social homes to use as quickly as possible, but also on remediation work bringing long-term benefits, including insulation retrofitting which means the home, when re-let, has high comfort levels and is more economical to heat for the incoming tenant.