Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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119. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of vacant residential properties in counties Longford and Westmeath on the vacant homes register in tabular form. [26813/21]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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120. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the criteria applied after a property is registered on the vacant homes register. [26814/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 120 together.

The innovative website vacanthomes.ie was developed by Mayo County Council in July 2017 on behalf of the local government sector to serve as a central portal for individuals to anonymously log possible vacant homes.

It is a key tool in the effort to identify and bring long-term vacant homes back into use, and this source of locally generated information is proving useful in supplementing the country-wide analysis on vacancy and in mobilising communities to assist local authorities in developing and implementing a targeted approach. The website provides useful information for property owners on how to bring their vacant properties back into use and on available financial supports.

Once a property is logged onto the website, the vacant homes officer in the local authority receives an alert that a property in their area has been identified as vacant, they then set about identifying the owner of the property and provide them with all the relevant information to assist them in bringing their property back into use.

The table below indicates the latest figures for properties logged on vacanthomes.ie for Counties Longford and Westmeath.