Vacant social homes brought back in to use in Co Kilkenny

Figures released by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage have shown that a total of 350 vacant social homes were brought back into active use in Co Kilkenny between 2014 and 2023 under the Voids Programme.

The figures also show that €5.3 million was spent renovating and refurbishing the homes, and that 2020 to 2023 saw more than double the amount of vacant homes brought back into use by Kilkenny County Council compared to the 2014 to 2019 period.

Green Party TD for Carlow Kilkenny and Minister of State at the Department of Housing Malcolm Noonan, has welcomed the findings and the success of the Voids Programme which he claimed is 'critical in supporting the Government’s wider efforts to tackle vacancy and dereliction'.

"Making more efficient use of existing housing stock is a cornerstone of Green Party housing policy and a key action of the Government’s Housing for All plan," Minister Noonan said.

"This government has recognised that the refurbishment and the return to use of vacant properties is a sustainable and efficient way to relieve some of the pressure on existing housing stock and provide much needed homes for people. The refurbishment of unoccupied social homes under the Voids Programme also has a positive social impact on communities. By preventing the further decline and ultimate abandonment of vacant properties, we can in many instances prevent the antisocial behaviour and other social issues associated with vacancy and dereliction," Mr Noonan added.

"There were 106 social homes returned to use in the six years between 2014 and 2019, but as these figures show, that has more than doubled in the four years from 2020 to 2023, with 244 units being refurbished and re-let," Minister Noonan concluded.