Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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1158. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to consider setting up a roving workforce to assist local authorities bring vacant housing stock back into use; if he will consider a local authority (details supplied) as a pilot for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18668/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, is a matter for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local Authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure all their tenanted properties are compliant with the provisions of the housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019.

Notwithstanding, my Department provides annual funding support to local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-let under the Voids Programme. Since 2014 to the end of 2024, Exchequer funding of €361.6 million has been recouped to local authorities, which has supported the refurbishment and re-let of 25,672 dwellings.

As part of the Programme for Government consideration is being given to the introduction of a new Voids Programme with a view to further improving turnaround times of vacant social housing units.