Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland sets out four pathways to a sustainable housing system. At a time of high housing need, when people are homeless and living in unsuitable accommodation, it is vital that existing vacant homes are brought back into productive use. Pathway 4: 'Addressing Vacancy and Efficient Use of Existing Stock' addresses this issue and sets out a number of key actions in this regard.

This includes the establishment of a new ‘Croí Cónaithe (Towns)’ Fund for servicing sites to attract people to build their own homes and to refurbish vacant properties in regional towns and villages. My Department is working with the Housing Agency to develop an operational basis for this new fund, which will work alongside other related funds such as the Affordable Housing Fund and complement measures forthcoming in the 'Towns Centre First' policy framework, details of which are expected to be finalised in Q4 2021.

This Government is firmly committed to a 'Town Centres First' approach which will build upon the ambition set out in Our Rural Future, to support the regeneration, repopulation and development of rural towns and villages. While programmes such as the Urban Regeneration Development Fund (URDF) and the Rural Regeneration Development Fund (RRDF) are primarily intended to support wider town regeneration, they also facilitate optimal use and reuse of existing properties. In this regard, Housing for All commits that further calls for funding under these funds will include specific criteria to encourage the activation of vacant properties and to bring stock back into use. This funding will be integrated with proposals on retrofitting and existing support, such as the Better Energy Homes Grant, to ensure the architectural heritage of towns is preserved.

I will also review and extend the regulations that exempt certain vacant commercial premises, such as ‘over the shop’ type spaces, from requiring planning permission for change of use for residential purposes to 2025.

Many areas of towns and villages, of all sizes, have vacant residential and commercial properties that could be used. If brought back into use, these properties could provide much needed homes and give added vibrancy to our towns and villages. Promoting residential occupancy in our rural towns and villages is at the heart of a ‘Town Centres First’ approach and Housing for All.