Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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404. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of local authority voids by each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21168/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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There is always a level of vacancy in local authority housing stock that fluctuates over time, as tenancy surrender and re-letting of stock takes place on an ongoing basis. My Department actively encourages local authorities to ensure all vacant properties in their stock are brought back into use as expeditiously as possible. Local authorities also provide significant funding from their own resources to address the level of vacancy within the social housing stock.

Since 2014, Exchequer funding has also been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to support local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting. Some €172.3million has been recouped to local authorities under the Voids Programme between 2014 and 2019 inclusive which resulted in 12,495 units being returned to productive use.

In relation to the Voids Programme for 2020 and arising from the impact of COVID-19, there was an initial call for proposals for COVID-19 Voids funding. Local authorities have received funding approval of €5million in an effort to return 500 approved units to productive use.

On 30 July, I announced extra funding for voids, as part of the July stimulus package, to support local authority work in this area to target approximately 2,500 units.My Department has now approved 2,362 units based on detailed submissions received from local authorities with a combined cost of over €39 million, and will continue to work to the overall target.

The National Oversight & Audit Commission (NOAC) reviews the social housing stock level in local authorities every year, including the number of vacant local authority houses at a particular point in time. NOAC’s activities in this regard are published in its Annual Performance Indicator Reports. The most recent report, relating to 2018, is available on the NOAC website and can be accessed at the following link (see Appendix 2):.