Written answers
Tuesday, 23 November 2021
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Vacant Properties
Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
297. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the estimated number of properties which are vacant for longer than a transitional period which might become the target of policies to tackle vacancy. [57491/21]
Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
Addressing vacancy and maximising the use of existing housing stock is a primary concern of this Government, as demonstrated by one of the four pathways dedicated solely to this priority area in the new Housing for All strategy. The most recent figures available from Census 2016 indicate that there were 183,000 vacant homes nationwide, a 20% reduction on figures reported in Census 2011 (230,000).
Work is underway by the Department of Finance through the current Local Property Tax returns to assess the present vacancy situation and once collated and analysed this data will provide a new data set on vacant homes.
Local authorities will always have a level of vacancy in their housing stock. This will fluctuate over time, as tenancy surrender and re-letting of stock is an ongoing process. Therefore, ongoing data in relation to vacant local authority owned homes are not collated by my Department.
Statistics in relation to social housing stock, at a point in time, are published by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in their Annual Reports on Performance Indicators in Local Authorities. These reports provide a range of information in relation to social housing stock, including levels of vacancy in local authority owned properties. The most recent report, relating to 2020, is available on the NOAC website at the following link:
noac.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/NOAC-Local-Authority-Performance-Indicator-Report-2020.pdf.
My Department and local authorities, supported by the Local Government Management Association, are working to transition from a largely response and voids based approach to housing stock management and maintenance to a planned maintenance approach as referenced in Housing for All, policy objective 20.6. This will require the implementation of centrally hosted ICT system to support the completion of stock condition surveys by all local authorities and the subsequent development of strategic and informed work programmes which will be supported by my Department’s stock improvement funding programmes. It is envisaged that these surveys will commence early in 2022.
Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
298. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number and aggregate area of vacant sites registered on the vacant sites register in each local authority; and the estimated liability and collection of revenue from the levy. [57492/21]
Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
The requested information is outlined in the attached spreadsheet. The legislation which governs the Vacant Sites Levy, the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, does not require local authorities to record the area of the sites which are entered on the register, and therefore this information is not available to my Department.
The information in the attached spreadsheet was collected by my Department following the issuing of Circular Letter PL 03/2021 on 8 March 2021 requesting the submission of a progress report on the collection of the levy by each local authority.
VSL Payments (in respect of 2020- 7% rate)
| Demands Issued | € payments collected | € outstanding | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planning Authority | No. sites liable 2020 | No. | Value | No. | Value | No. | Value |
| Carlow | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Cavan | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Clare | 14 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Cork City | 9 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Cork County | 12 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Donegal | 4 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 4 | €34,094.55 |
| Dublin City | 37 | 37 | €10,611,300.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 37 | €10,611,300.00 |
| DLR | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Fingal | 5 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | €264,845.00 |
| Galway City | 6 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 6.00 | €322,000.00 |
| Galway County | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kerry | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kildare | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kilkenny | 10 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 10 | €456,750.00 |
| Laois | 12 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 12 | €803,845.00 |
| Leitrim | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Limerick | 5 | 5 | €481,950.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | 481950.00 |
| Longford | 1 | 3 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 6750.00 |
| Louth | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Mayo | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Meath | 16 | 9 | €647,850.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 16 | 647850.00 |
| Monaghan | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Offaly | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Roscommon | 18 | 22 | €100,100.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 17 | €100,100.00 |
| Sligo | 21 | 1 | 21000.00 | 1.00 | €21,000.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| South Dublin | 11 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Tipperary | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Waterford | 14 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Westmeath | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Wexford | 2 | 2 | €21,000.00 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 2 | €21,000.00 |
| Wicklow | 18 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 18 | €621,250.00 |
| Total | 215 | 79 | €11,883,200.00 | 1 | €21,000.00 | 133 | €14,371,734.55 |
Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
299. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the local authorities that have reported that they have a full-time vacant property officer in place. [57493/21]
Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
Since 2018, my Department has provided funding of €50,000 per annum to each local authority to support the work of a Vacant Homes Office including a Vacant Homes Officer. There are presently 37 Vacant Homes Officers in place, 34 of which are currently part time.
The provision of central funding reinforces the capacity of local authorities to provide information/statistics to my Department from a dedicated contact point within each local authority. The Vacant Homes Office therefore plays a key role in the co-ordination of this work within each local authority.
Housing for All commits to ensuring that vacant homes officers are full-time officers. This will ensure a dedicated focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction with a view to increasing the opportunities for residential development. This will include options for both social housing and affordable housing in many towns. My Department will be communicating with local authorities before the end of the year around the future process to ensure that a member of staff is assigned to these tasks on a full-time basis.
Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
300. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the most recent data from each local authority on the number of voids within their housing stock; and the average time which elapses between a home being vacated and a new tenant being placed in each authority. [57494/21]
Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
Local authorities will always have a level of vacancy in their housing stock. This will fluctuate over time, as tenancy surrender and re-letting of stock is an ongoing process.
Statistics in relation to the social housing stock are published by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in their Annual Reports on Performance Indicators in Local Authorities. These reports provide a range of information in relation to social housing stock, including the level of vacancy and turnaround times broken down by local authority. The most recent report, relating to 2020, is available on the NOAC website at the following link:
noac.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/NOAC-Local-Authority-Performance-Indicator-Report-2020.pdf.
No comments