Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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108. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to provide an update on the voids return programme in Cork city. [24430/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties are compliant with the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations, 2019. Local authority officials and elected members have a very important role to play in this regard by making adequate budgetary provision for housing repairs and cyclical maintenance utilising the significant housing rental income available to them as part of the annual budgetary process.

Notwithstanding this, my Department provides annual funding support to local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-let under the Voids Programme. This funding was introduced originally to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted to support authorities to ensure minimal turnaround and re-let times for vacant stock.

I have approved €31 million in funding to support the return of 2,300 vacant local authority homes this year. A programme of works has been submitted by Cork City Council under this Programme, with the selection of these properties a matter for each individual local authority.

An annualised breakdown by local authority, of the funding provided and the number of properties remediated under the Voids programme for the years 2014 up to and including 2023 is available on my Department's website at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/collection/0906a-other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics/#voids-programme/.

Work in relation to the 2024 Programmes is ongoing, however, it will be later this year before significant recoupment claims are lodged with my Department. Full details in relation to 2024 output under this programme will be published on my Department’s website early in 2025.