Written answers

Wednesday, 31 March 2021

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Local Authority Housing

Photo of Holly CairnsHolly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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502. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps he is taking to address the findings of the European Committee of Social Rights that local authority tenants in Ireland continue to live with inadequate housing standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17504/21]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department supports a number of local authority housing stock improvement programmes which have seen €457m of exchequer funding invested in local authority housing stock improvement works since 2014. For example:

The Energy Efficiency Programme aims to improve energy performance and comfort levels in homes. Since 2014, 60,357 homes have benefited from some level of retrofitting works at a cost of €134m

The Voids Programme funds local authorities to remediate vacant homes to ensure they meet minimum letting standards. Since 2014, 16,102 vacant local authority homes have been remediated and re-let at a cost of €229m

The Disabled Persons Grant Scheme funds necessary adaptations to local authority housing stock to accommodate the needs of the elderly and disabled and to relieve overcrowding. Since 2014, thousands of households have had their living conditions improved at a cost of €94m.

Moving forward, my Department is working with the local authority sector, through the City and County Management Association to transition the sector from a largely response based approach to housing stock maintenance to a strategic and informed planned maintenance approach based on stock condition surveys. Planned maintenance works will commence in some local authorities in 2022. Budget 2021 saw a significant uplift in Energy Efficiency funding and the Programme for Government commits to further funding being made available to local authorities going forward for planned maintenance works; insulation, windows and doors and heating systems.

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