Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 October 2025
626. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department provides specific funding to local authorities for the purposes of refurbishment of vacant social housing stock; if he will detail the amount which has been made available to each local authority for this purpose; and the amount which has been drawn down in each of the past five years. [55226/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties are compliant with the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations, 2019.
Notwithstanding the legal obligation on local authorities to manage and maintain their own stock, my Department provides annual funding support to local authorities for management and maintenance under the current Planned Maintenance/Voids Programme.
This funding should supplement LA own resources and not be seen as a substitute for adequate budgeting for housing management and maintenance by local authority officials and elected members as part of their annual budgetary process.
An annualised breakdown by local authority of the funding provided and the number of properties remediated under the Voids programme is available on my Department's website at the following link:
(www.gov.ie/en/collection/0906a-other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics/#voids-programme) .
My Department continues to support local authorities in their work in this area this year and €31 million of funding has been made available. Details in relation to delivery under the 2025 Planned Maintenance/Voids Programme will be available early in 2026.
