Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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857. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the position regarding any initiative proposed by his Department that seeks to address long-term vacancy in privately owned housing units [11190/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government.

In Pathway 4 of Housing for All on Addressing Vacancy and Efficient Use of Existing Stock, the Government set out a blueprint to support bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use as homes. The Vacant Homes Action Plan, published in January 2023, built on Pathway 4 and set out the various actions that were being pursued to return vacant properties back into use as homes.

The Vacant Homes Action Plan Progress Report was launched in April 2024 highlighting the key measures that have been undertaken across all relevant Government departments to support bringing properties back into use as homes and it is available here on the Department's website: www.gov.ie/en/publication/df86c-vacant-homes-action-plan-2023-2026/

The next Progress Report will be published in the coming months and will outline what has been achieved in 2024 and the measures planned for 2025.

The new Programme for Government also includes a range of commitments to tackle vacancy, including a commitment to expand the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant to create an ‘Above the Shop’ grant and my Department is currently progressing this work.