Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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52. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps he is taking to reduce the rate of vacant local authority homes across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24060/25]

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.

Local authorities should endeavour to move to a position whereby rental incomes are ring fenced for the purpose of Management and Maintenance of their housing stock. However, my Department provides annual funding support to local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-let under the Voids Programme. The funding is available to support local authorities rather than replace funding from the local authorities own resources.

The emphasis of the programme is on those refurbishment works necessary to comply with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 to ensure quick turnaround and re-letting times. All future works should be deferred and carried out under planned maintenance over the lifecycle of the asset. Where a local authority chooses to do works over and above those which are necessary to comply with the rental standards it can impact re-let times and result in additional costs for the local authority.

As part of the Programme for Government, consideration is being given to the introduction of a new Voids Programme with a view to further improve turnaround times of vacant social housing units. Given the very significant investment into the voids programme and positive impact this programme has had over recent years, it is considered that local authorities should have largely dealt with legacy vacancy by now and by the end of this year should be in a strong position to complete the transition to a strategic and informed planned maintenance approach to stock management and maintenance.