DISGRACE THAT VACANT HOMES LYING IDLE
It is a disgrace that vacant homes are lying idle and falling into disrepair, Peter Fitzpatrick has said.
In the Dáil last week he called on the Government to release funding to bring them up to standard.
‘In Louth, approximately 100 homes owned by the council are lying vacant. They are in a state of disrepair and require work to bring them up to the standard for families to live in.
‘I have spoken to council officials on many occasions regarding this matter and they have constantly told me that the council has not been given the funds by the Government for this work.’
The Independent TD continued many of these houses are in established residential areas where community services exist, including schools, health centres and shops.
‘ These homes should be brought back into the housing stock immediately. There is a danger that many of them will become dens for drug addicts and alcoholics.
‘Surely it would be more cost-effective to retrofit these homes, rather than going ahead and putting in new houses, which seems to be what is happening.’
The Dundalk-based deputy added that 100 families could be taken off the housing list.
He asked the Minister of State to confirm how many homes Louth County Council currently owns that are vacant because of disrepair, and what plans there are for these dwellings?
‘Will the Minister of State also confirm what funds the Government is committed to providing to Louth County Council over the coming 18 months to provide new homes and refurbish others under the Rebuilding Ireland scheme?’
‘Will the Minister of State confirm that he, or his Department, will help and support Louth County Council in taking these vacant houses back to the housing stock?
Deputy John Paul Phelan replied that he would ask the Minister with responsibility for housing to respond directly.
‘Louth County Council is a great example of an authority that is at the cutting edge in the issue of dereliction and bringing buildings that are derelict back into use,’ he said.
‘ The council has used compulsory purchase orders and I know that compulsory sales orders are also being discussed.
‘I am surprised by the comment from Louth County Council about voids because there has been an unprecedented level of funding from the Department.’
He said he would have to ask Damien English, Minister of State with special responsibility for Housing and Urban Development, to respond directly to the Deputy Fitzpatrick on the figures and specific information for Louth.
‘On the specific funding to local authorities to deal with voids, some local authorities are better than others at delivering and drawing down funding under different headings but there has been an unprecedented amount of resources and capacity devoted, at Department level, to ensuring that voids are returned to use quicker than previously was the case,’ Minister of State Phelan continued.