Fianna Fáil has introduced a new bill which aims to refurbish thousands of vacant properties and commercial buildings to bring them back into use.

The Vacant Housing Refurbishment Bill 2017 establishes a special planning and building control approval process in each planning authority. It will enable the expedited refurbishment of upper floors of older and commercial structures for housing.

Housing spokesperson Deputy Barry Cowen said a new approach is needed to expand the supply of social, affordable and private housing.

He said: "As has been well documented, Census 2016 revealed that almost 260,000 homes – 15% of total housing stock – are vacant across the country. This is shamefully wasteful.

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"There are thousands of square feet of liveable space in 'above the shop' units which, as anyone who walks around a city or town in Ireland can clearly see, exist in very large numbers.

"Dublin City Council recently estimated that there are 4,000 vacant spaces above commercial units in the city with potential for use as residential dwellings. With the right policy instrument in place this could translate into over 20,000 additional residential units in a short space of time.

"Building control and planning processes make spaces in older or commercial buildings virtually impossible to convert for residential use and have to be streamlined if we are to make a dent on reducing building vacancies and dereliction.

"The Bill expands a limited category of exempted development and amends building control administrative procedures while requiring direct inspection of the design plans before construction and on site by an independent 'Authorised Person', as defined by legislation.

"It is intended the 'One-Stop-Shop' approval system will reduce administrative delay, align existing administrative systems for planning and building control and ensure greater compliance in the conversion and refurbishment of existing structures in urban areas to residential use."

(CD/MH)