Around 3,000 housing units are vacant throughout Ireland, Fianna Fáil has revealed.

In most cases the units need to undergo refurbishment work, according to data released under Freedom of Information to Fianna Fáil.

Environment Spokesperson Barry Cowen was shocked at the figures after the refurbishment budget for 2015 was cut by €6 million.

He said: "Minister Kelly continues to claim that he is targeting the return of vacant houses to productive use as a priority for addressing the escalating homelessness crisis and housing shortages.

"He has repeatedly claimed that Local Authority executives have been slow and unwilling to refurbish vacant houses and return them to productive use. However, information revealed to me from the Department via Parliamentary Question puts paid to Minister Kelly's false shifting of blame to local authorities.

-- Advertisement --

"The PQ response reveals that the Department's void refurbishment and renovation programme is capped at €30,000 per unit. This is an utterly insane policy while 3,000 houses are lying vacant.

"The Minister is willing to commit €100,000 to build a single temporary modular housing unit, but will not allow the refurbishment of a permanent housing unit if it costs above €30,000.

"While many of these homes already owned by local authorities are in need of significant repair, they could provide long-term homes for a family on the social housing list for much less than €100,000 and in a shorter time frame.

"It was also revealed this week that the Minister is actually underspending on the Budget allocated to his Department this year. Why is there such a small cap on housing refurbishment, when he is not capable of even spending the budget allocated to his Department?"

(CD/JP)