Only 574 units have been added to the housing stock via vacant housing to date in 2018, according to new data.

Sinn Féin's Housing Spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD urged the government to review their vacant housing schemes following the announcement.

The government currently has three schemes in operation which aim to bring vacant homes into use.

Deputy Ó Broin said: "According to information received in response to a parliamentary question the government's key schemes for returning vacant units back into use, Buy and Renew, Repair and Lease and the Housing Agency fund are not returning a sufficient number of units back into use.

"In fact across all three schemes only 574 units have been delivered to date in 2018. This is extremely disappointing given the census identified 189,000 vacant homes across the country in 2016 and the Geo Directories confirming 90,000 of this figure.

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"According to the data received the Buy and Renew scheme, where funding is provided to local authorities to acquire units for social housing, has only delivered 65 housing units so far in 2018.

"The number of homes in use via the Repair and Lease scheme is only 22 by the end of quarter two 2018 with lease agreements signed for 60. The Repair and Lease scheme aimed to help owners of vacant homes who cannot afford to bring their properties up to the standard required to lease out.

"Despite the Minister unveiling changes to the scheme in January 2018 the take up of the scheme is still dismal and we need to discover why.

"The Housing Agency €70m rolling fund has only delivered 487 units as of the end of September 2018. This fund was created to acquire turnkey properties from banks and funds. It is disappointing that despite 1,800 homes being offered purchases have only closed on 487."

He concluded: "The government's attempts to incentivise vacant units back into use isn't working. We need to start looking at a carrot and stick approach to this issue."

(CM)