Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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364. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of vacant housing units in the possession of Dublin City Council. [36334/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Local authorities will always have a level of vacancy in their housing stock that will fluctuate over time as tenancy surrender and re-letting of stock is an ongoing process.

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): .

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 provide funding from their own resources to address vacant stock but in addition, since 2014, my Departement has been providing funding for this purpose under the Voids Programme. The suite of works being funded under the programme is tailored to encourage swift turnaround.  This year, in addition to the normal voids programme, my Department has under the July Stimulus Programme approved Dublin City Council for the remediation of an additional 379 vacant properties at an estimated cost of €5.37m.