Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
243. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures in place for local authorities to bring vacant housing stock back into use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37543/26]
View answerThe management and maintenance of local authority social homes, including pre-letting repairs to vacant social homes, is a matter for each individual local authority under s.58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities must also ensure all tenanted homes comply with the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019.
Accordingly, it is first and foremost the responsibility of local authority elected members and officials to make adequate budgetary provision for housing repairs and cyclical maintenance utilising the significant housing rental income available to them as part of the annual budgetary process. They must also ensure that any works undertaken on casually vacant social homes are only those necessary to meet the minimum rental standards and to facilitate those homes being brought back into productive use as quickly as possible.
Notwithstanding, my Department will provide some €260 million as a contribution towards the remediation and maintenance of local authority homes through various funding programmes in 2026. This includes €40 million under the Planned Maintenance and Voids Programme, specifically supporting the efficient turn around of casually vacant homes by local authorities. Critically, this funding does not replace, but merely supplements, local authorities' own investment in the management and maintenance of their social homes.
Data on funding provided by my Department through the Planned Maintenance and Voids Programme is available on my Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/collections/other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics/#voids-programme.
