Up to 36,000 vacant units in Ireland can be brought into use through a range of measures, according to Sinn Fein.

The party the claims the submission in its Vacant Homes Strategy to Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy.

Some of the initiatives included a statutory vacant homes register, a vacant homes tax and encouraging greater use of compulsory purchase orders, and the appointment of vacant homes officers.

Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD said: "Our strategy would aim to return to active use a minimum of 20% of the current vacant stock, 36,000 units, over a period of six years, delivering approx. 6,000 units per year. The funding for this would come from within the capital funding allocation as outlined in government's housing action plan.

-- Advertisement --

"To help reach this target, local authorities should be instructed to complete a vacant home register which should include all properties that have been vacant for six months or more. The appointment of vacant homes officers would help to oversee the register and would also engage with vacant home owners.

"Sinn Féin is of the view that in order to maximise the return of vacant units to active use we need incentives for those who require assistance to bring these units back to use and penalties for those who wilfully leave properties empty. The government should introduce a vacant homes tax applicable to properties vacant for more than six months within DEDs or LEAs determined by local authorities as having a high level of housing need and a high level of vacancy. This would be subject to certain exemptions including homes in probate and in the Fair Deal scheme."

(CD/LM)