Vacant homes officers in Tipperary
Deputy McGrath asked for a second vacant homes officer in Tipperary to speed up Croí Cónaithe and repair-and-leasing applications. The Minister of State said local authorities can seek additional officers by business case and pointed to the scheme’s national success.
County Tipperary, despite its size, has only one vacant homes officer to cover the county in identifying vacant houses and assessing applications under Croí Cónaithe and the repair and leasing scheme. As the Taoiseach knows, there is significant interest, thankfully, in these grants from the public. For a county the size of Tipperary, I ask that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage find some budget to appoint a second officer so that the grants can be turned around pretty quickly, vacant houses can be assessed and there will be efficiency in the scheme, which will make a dent on the housing crisis.
In addition, I ask the Departments of the Taoiseach and Housing, Local Government and Heritage to get together to re-examine Croí Cónaithe. The current situation whereby it is only available to owner-occupiers is stymying many of the applications. We need to tweak this scheme to allow it to be used in respect of the rental market in order for people to do up vacant houses, some of which are derelict, and get them back into use. That scheme needs to be tweaked. We also need a second vacant homes officer for these assessments in County Tipperary.
Comment on this
If the Deputy was in the Chamber for questions on housing about three weeks ago, he will have heard the Minister give a commitment that any local authority that wishes to appoint additional housing officers can make a business case to the Department, which will be very receptive to it. I ask the Deputy to go back to Tipperary County Council to make a case for additional vacant homes officers wherever they are required in Tipperary.
The Croí Cónaithe scheme has been very successful to date, with more than 900 applicants. As the Deputy is aware, it is working throughout the country. There is €30,000 available where the house has been vacant for more than two years and up to €50,000 is available for a derelict site. We want people to take up this scheme. We want people to live in houses that are currently vacant and derelict. I ask the Deputy to go back to Tipperary County Council and tell the relevant staff that if they wish to appoint vacant housing officers, they should make the application and business case to the Department. We are very receptive to that.