Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2026
1028. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health what formal engagement has taken place between his Department, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Land Development Agency regarding the potential transfer or reuse of vacant HSE-owned residential properties for housing purposes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9369/26]
View answerThe HSE adheres to its statutory obligations and is required to offer surplus assets, including properties for housing, in the first case to the Land Development Agency (LDA) and then to other State stakeholders (including Local Authorities) under Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circulars 11/15 Protocols for the Transfer and Sharing of State Property Assets & 17/16 Policy for the Property Acquisition and for Disposal of Surplus Property.
The HSE must follow the official process for the disposal of properties by State bodies and agencies. When a HSE property has been vacated by a service it is necessary to establish if it is surplus to requirements and decide to retain the property in the healthcare estates. If the property is to be disposed of, the process hierarchy is set out as follows:
• Offer the property to the LDA via written notification.
• Should the LDA not choose to take up the property, under DPER Circulars 11/2015 & 17/2016 the HSE must then offer the property to other State Stakeholders via the State Property Register.
• Should no other State Stakeholders take up the property, the HSE then places the property for sale on the open market.
In addition to these statutory requirements, my Department engages with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the LDA in relevant work and reports such as the State Lands subgroup in the context of Housing for All and in Delivering Homes, Building Communities and the LDA Report on Relevant Public Land.
My Department and the HSE will continue to work collaboratively with all key stakeholders in relation to its surplus assets as part of an all of Government approach to increasing housing stock.
