Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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58. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding given by his Department to local authorities to tackle dereliction. [33137/22]

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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61. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of whole-time equivalent vacant homes officers by local authority in tabular form. [33140/22]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 58 and 61 together.

My Department understand that in 2021 there were in the region of 3 full-time and 34 part-time vacant homes officers working in local authorities. In January 2022, my Department communicated with local authorities outlining that it is increasing the funding made available since 2018 from €50,000 to €60,000 per annum from mid-2022 to support the work of a Vacant Homes Office including a vacant homes officer to support the commitment in Housing for All to ensure that vacant homes officers are full-time. The provision of central funding reinforces the capacity of local authorities, including through the important role of vacant homes officers, to ensure a dedicated focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction with a view to increasing the opportunities for residential development.

Local authorities have been requested to arrange for the vacant homes officer position to become full-time by the end of Q2 2022 and to notify my Department accordingly. I expect that each local authority will have at least one full-time vacant homes officer working in their local authority. Local authorities are continuing with the process of the delivery of the Vacant Homes Officer position on a full-time basis. As this process is ongoing, I will have a full position from local authorities following the delivery timeframe of the end of June. In addition, local authority claims for the increased provision of €60,000 will commence thereafter.