Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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1329. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the publication of an independent research proposal on property vacancies by the Housing Agency as outlined in the National Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy 2018-2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5794/20]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The National Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy, published in July 2018, strives to provide a targeted, effective and co-ordinated approach to identifying and tackling residential vacancy across the country, drawing together all of the strands of ongoing work into one document.  The Housing Agency, in addition to providing vital supports to local authorities in identifying and reactivating vacant properties, also supports the development of policy designed to tackle residential vacancy through research and analysis as part of the strategy.

Further to this commitment, the Housing Agency funded Dr. Philip Crowe of Space Engagers to carry out a research report entitled "How Vacancy is created and used: Case studies from Scotland, Denmark, and Philadelphia" on behalf of the Housing Agency, the Heritage Council and Mayo County Council.  Dr. Crowe also undertook an associated research project entitled "Incentives for the reuse of vacant buildings in town centres for housing and sustainable communities in Scotland, Denmark and France".

Both research reports were published in March 2019 and are available on the Housing Agency website at the links below.

http://www.housingagency.ie/publications/incentives-re-use-vacant-buildings-town-centres-housing-and-sustainable-communities