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For Oral Answer on : 28/09/2021
Question Number(s): 154 Question Reference(s): 46443/21
Department: Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Asked by: David Stanton T.D.
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QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage the support that has been provided to each of the respective local authorities to enable them to bring vacant and derelict properties back into use as housing; the number of vacant housing officers in place in each local authority; if they are employed on a full or part-time basis; his plans to provide further support to increase the number of officers; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY
The National Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy was published by my Department in 2018, this Strategy strives to provide a targeted, effective and co-ordinated approach to identifying and tackling vacancy across Ireland.
Since 2018, my Department has provided funding to each local authority of €50,000 per annum to support the work of a Vacant Homes Office including a Vacant Homes Officer. All 31 local authorities have claimed their funding up to June 2021 and this funding has been secured up to June 2022.
The provision of central funding reinforces the capacity of local authorities to provide information/statistics to my Department from a dedicated contact point within each local authority. The Vacant Homes Office therefore plays a key role in the co-ordination of this work within each local authority.
As part of Housing for All the Government has committed to a range of actions as part of the pathway to address vacancy ensuring the efficient use of housing stock. This includes ensuring that the Vacant Homes Officers based in local authorities are all full-time posts.
The table attached lists the number of Vacant Homes Officers currently in each local authority and whether they are working in a full or part time capacity in that role.
| Table of Vacant Homes Officers in Local Authorities | |||
| Local Authority | No. of Vacant Homes Officers | Full-time | Part-time |
| Carlow | 1 | 1 | |
| Cavan | 1 | 1 | |
| Clare | 1 | 1 | |
| Cork City | 1 | 1 | |
| Cork County | 2 | 2 | |
| Donegal | 1 | 1 | |
| Dublin City | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Dun Laoghaire | 1 | 1 | |
| Fingal | 1 | 1 | |
| Galway City | 1 | 1 | |
| Galway County | 1 | 1 | |
| Kerry | 1 | 1 | |
| Kildare | 1 | 1 | |
| Kilkenny | 1 | 1 | |
| Laois | 1 | 1 | |
| Leitrim | 1 | 1 | |
| Limerick | 1 | 1 | |
| Longford | 1 | 1 | |
| Louth | 1 | 1 | |
| Mayo | 1 | 1 | |
| Meath | 2 | 2 | |
| Monaghan | 2 | 2 | |
| Offaly | 1 | 1 | |
| Roscommon | 1 | 1 | |
| Sligo | 2 | 2 | |
| South Dublin | 1 | 1 | |
| Tipperary | 1 | 1 | |
| Waterford | 1 | 1 | |
| Westmeath | 1 | 1 | |
| Wexford | 1 | 1 | |
| Wicklow | 1 | 1 |
