Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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174. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 623 of 26 July 2022, the number of local authorities currently employing a full-time vacant homes officer by local authority in tabular form; when all remaining local authorities will have a full-time vacant homes officer in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47007/22]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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In January 2022, my Department communicated with local authorities that it is increasing the funding made available since 2018, to support the work of a Vacant Homes Office including a vacant homes officer in each local authority, from €50,000 to €60,000 per annum. This supports the commitment in Housing for All to ensure that the vacant homes officer role is full-time. The provision of central funding for the role supports the capacity of local authorities to have a dedicated focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction with a view to increasing the opportunities for residential development.

Local authorities were 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. Of the 31 Local Authorities, 25 Vacant Homes Officers are now on a full-time basis, with the remaining local authorities in the process of transitioning the role to being full time. The Department is continuing the engagement with the remaining local authorities to ensure that full-time Vacant Homes Officers are in place. Details of individual local authorities are contained in the table below.