Fianna Fáil has announced plans for an “empty property grant” to encourage owners of vacant homes to bring them back into use.
The party also wants to create a “home delivery” agency and have more social housing in the private sector. It has endorsed a bill that will increase the minimum notice period for tenants to three months.
Speaking at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions conference in Dublin yesterday, Barry Cowen, the party’s housing spokesman, said that the government must set more ambitious targets. “The target of some 30,000 new-build social units as part of an overall 50,000 unit target over the next five years is not enough to meet the needs of our population,” he said.
“I believe a new home delivery agency is needed to undertake social and affordable housing in the state. This agency should have emergency compulsory purchase powers and [be able to] sub-contract work out. This should cut through department and local authority red tape.”
Mr Cowen also said that the obligation on developers to deliver social housing should be increased. At present builders must set aside 10 per cent of any scheme with ten or more houses or flats for people on waiting lists after a change in planning law, known as Part V, was introduced in 2015. “Part V should be expanded back to 20 per cent and this should encompass both social and affordable homes,” Mr Cowen said. “Market provision must be aligned with a social contribution. The concept of integrated communities should be defended.”
Advertisement
The Offaly TD also backed NCT-style inspections for rental properties and said that an incentive was needed to encourage owners of vacant homes to make use of their properties. The government put €32 million behind its own empty homes scheme last February but no one had used it by the end of October. Under the incentive, owners can claim up to €40,000 to bring their property back into use.
Mr Cowen said that those saving for a house deposit “need support” from an “SSIA or shared equity model”.