Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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281. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the scheme that is in place for the return of long-term voids by local authorities. [57406/22]

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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283. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of voids to be returned by each local authority under the voids return scheme in 2022, in tabular form. [57408/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 281 and 283 together.

The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.

Since 2014, Exchequer funding has been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to support local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting. This funding was initially introduced to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted at ensuring minimal turnaround and re-let times for local authority vacant stock.

Under the 2022 Voids Programme, funding of €25 million has been made available across the local authorities for the remediation of 2,273 properties. The allocation per local authority is outlined in the following table.

Given the very significant investment into the Voids Programme over recent years, it is expected that local authorities should have dealt with legacy vacancy and should now be in a strong position to begin the transition to a strategic and informed planned maintenance approach to stock management and maintenance.

To that end, my Department and local authorities 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 completion of stock condition surveys by all local authorities and the subsequent development of strategic and informed work programmes in response. My Department will support these work programmes by ensuring that the funding available under the various stock improvement programmes is aligned with this approach.In this regard, €5 million in funding has been ring-fenced for Planned Maintenance under this years Planned Maintenance/Voids Programme to support the implementation of an ICT asset management system for the local authority sector and to provide a funding contribution for the commencement of stock condition surveys.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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282. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if local authorities can apply for the croí cónaithe towns fund for long-term voids. [57407/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. Many areas of cities, towns and villages of all sizes face the blight of vacant properties, which, if brought back into use, could add real vibrancy and provide new accommodation in those areas. The Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund is a key initiative which underpins these policy objectives set out in Pathway Four of Housing for All.

Schemes under the Fund, which are delivered by local authorities, provide new choices for people to live in towns and villages in Ireland, through the provision of a grant to support the refurbishment of vacant properties and by providing serviced sites in towns and villages to people in order to build their own homes.

In July, I launched the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant as part of the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund. The grant benefits those who wish to turn a formerly vacant house or building into their principal private residence. The grant was initially launched in respect of vacant properties in towns and villages but I am pleased to say that as of the 15 November,  the expanded grant also includes eligible vacant properties in both cities and rural areas (in addition to those in towns and villages, which have been eligible since July). www.gov.ie/en/press-release/969fb-vacant-property-refurbishment-grant-expanded-to-cities-and-remote-rural-areas/.

A grant of up to a maximum of €30,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence, including the conversion of a property which has not previously been used as residential. Where the refurbishment costs are expected to exceed the standard grant of up to €30,000, a maximum top-up grant amount of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed to be derelict, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €50,000. 

In September, I launched the Ready to Build Scheme, also funded by the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund. Under the Ready to Build Scheme, local authorities will make serviced sites in towns and villages available to potential individual purchasers to build their homes. These sites will be available at a discount on the market value of the site for the building of a property for occupation as the principal private residence of the purchaser.

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant does not apply to local authority housing stock. The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.

Since 2014, Exchequer funding has been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to support local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting. This funding was initially introduced to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted at ensuring minimal turnaround and re-let times for local authority vacant stock.

Under the 2022 Voids Programme, funding of €25 million has been made available across the local authorities for the remediation of 2,273 properties.