Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 November 2025
212. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current number of long-term vacant social housing units in Cork city and Cork county; the average turnaround time for void units in both authorities; and the planned targets for reducing long-term voids in 2026. [66583/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra213. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated annual cost to the Exchequer arising from long-term voids in local authority housing stock since 2020; and if he will provide the method used for calculating this estimate. [66584/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 212 and 213 together.
The management and maintenance of local authority social homes, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, implementing a planned maintenance programme and carrying out responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities are also required to ensure all their tenanted homes comply with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019.
Notwithstanding these obligations, my Department provides annual funding under the Planned Maintenance/Voids Programme to support local authority management and maintenance programmes.
Since 2020 to the end of 2024, almost 13,200 vacant social homes have been brought back into productive use through an investment of more than €189m. A further, €31 million will be provided in 2025, supporting the refurbishment and re-letting of a minimum of 1,900 social homes, facilitating the quick turnaround of vacant homes and continuing the transition from a reactive voids approach to a planned maintenance approach. Data on delivery under the 2025 Planned Maintenance/Voids Programme will be available early next year.
Funding will increase again in 2026 and, under a revised 'Voids' programme, will focus on the prompt turnaround of casual vacancies and reducing the level of overall vacancy in the local authority social homes, while also contributing to stock conditions surveys and supporting works arising from these surveys. This funding will complement local authority own resources. It should not be viewed as a substitute for local authority funding and the requirement for adequate budgeting for housing management and maintenance by local authority officials and elected members as part of their annual budgetary process.
Local authorities will always have a level of vacancy in their housing stock. This will fluctuate over time as tenancy surrender and re-letting of dwellings is an ongoing process.
Data regarding the number of voids are not routinely collated by my Department. That said, statistics in relation to social homes, at a point in time, are published by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in their Annual Reports on Performance Indicators in Local Authorities. These reports provide a range of information in relation to social housing stock, including levels of vacancy in local authority owned properties.
The most recent report relating to 2024, including data for Cork City and Cork County Councils, is available at https://www.noac.ie/noac_publications/report-77-noac-performance-indicator-report-2024/
