Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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47. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is satisfied that none of the renovated voids completed in 2018 were leased to tenants prior to renovation. [8478/19]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The purpose of the voids programme, funded by my Department, is to support local authorities in returning vacant social homes to use as quickly as possible, particularly homes that would likely remain vacant for a significant period of time because of the cost of the works required.

My Department does not collate data on the letting history of local authority properties submitted for refurbishment under the voids programme. Indeed, the tenanting of social homes is a matter for individual local authorities, therefore the information sought is not available from my Department. As a matter of practice, I expect that most, if not all, properties supported under the voids programme were re-let following completion of works. However, it may be possible for some works to be carried out in tandem with a property being re-let and that might facilitate a tenant being housed more speedily; such decisions are operational ones for local authorities to take.