Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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627. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government whether there is a funding stream for local authorities to pay to put shuttering on housing; and whether this can be included in an allocation under the voids return programme. [61740/25]

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 are also legally obliged to ensure all tenanted properties are compliant with the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019.

That said, my Department does provide some funding to local authorities to help prepare vacant units for re-let. This funding supports local authorities in their efforts to manage their housing stock efficiently and complements funding from the local authorities' own resources.

Primarily, funding is focused on those refurbishment works necessary to comply with the regulations and ensure a quick turnaround of social homes and short re-letting times. Generally, shuttering homes would be inconsistent with this objective and the works required to prepare casually vacant homes for re-let. Accordingly, they would not be supported my Department.