Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

583. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of vacant local authority dwellings in Cork city as of the latest date available; the average turnaround time for re-letting; and the steps being taken to accelerate this process. [51980/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Local authorities will always have a level of vacancy in their housing stock, which will fluctuate over time, as tenancy surrender and re-letting of stock is a rolling process. Therefore, ongoing data in relation to vacant local authority owned homes is not routinely collated by my Department.

Notwithstanding that, statistics in relation to social housing stock, at a point in time, are published by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in their Annual Reports on Performance Indicators in Local Authorities. These reports provide a range of information in relation to social housing stock, including levels of vacancy and average turnaround times for re-letting local authority owned properties. The most recent report for 2023 is available on the NOAC website at the following link: www.noac.ie/18-september-2024-local-authority-performance-indicator-report-2023/.

Furthermore, my intention, in accordance with the Programme for Government, is to introduce a new Voids programme which will have a renewed focus on prompt turnaround and re-letting of vacant units by focusing only on those works necessary to ensure compliance with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. Works identified which are not immediately necessary to address should be carried out under the local authority’s planned maintenance programme informed by stock condition surveys, whereby all housing components are on an inspection, repair and replacement cycle.