Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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173. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps his Department is taking to tackle the number of vacant houses, both public and private, across the State. [36745/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Addressing vacancy and maximising the use of existing housing stock is a primary objective of this Government as reflected in Pathway 4 of Housing for All.

The Vacant Homes Action Plan, which I published in January 2023, sets out the various actions that were being pursued to return vacant properties back into use as homes. Earlier this year, I published an update on the Action Plan which shows the significant progress that is being made.

A key initiative was the introduction of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant. In providing support to refurbish vacant and derelict properties, the grant is making the transformation of these properties into homes an affordable option for buyers and owners, while also supporting the rejuvenation of communities.

Under Call 3 of the URDF, a €150m revolving fund has been made available to local authorities to help acquire long term vacant (>2yrs) properties and then offer them for private sale to individuals who in return will commit to bringing the property into use as a home. Proceeds from the sale of these properties will be used to replenish the fund.

The Action Plan also sets out how my Department will support local authorities to bring vacant social stock back into use as homes.

While the management and maintenance of local authority housing stock is a matter for each local authority, my Department provides annual funding support to local authorities under the Voids Programme.

This funding was introduced originally to tackle their long term vacant units, and is now increasingly targeted at ensuring minimal turnaround and re-let times for vacant stock.

My Department has approved €31 million in funding this year to support the return of 2,300 vacant local authority homes.

This Government is committed to tackling vacancy, public and private, and the range of measures which have been introduced are making a real impact, bringing homes back into use.