Mattie McGrath urges second vacant homes officer for Tipperary
Mattie McGrath urged the Department of Housing and the board to appoint a second vacant homes officer for County Tipperary to speed grant assessments. He also called for a re-examination of the Cree-Konoha scheme to allow wider use for the rental market and to return vacant and derelict houses to use.
Vacant homes officer shortage
Tipperary currently has only one vacant homes officer to cover the county, identify vacant houses and assess applications under Cree-Konoha and the repair and leasing scheme. McGrath said an additional officer is needed so grants can be processed quickly and vacant properties can be assessed efficiently.
Call for a second appointment and business-case route
McGrath asked the Department of Housing and the relevant board to appoint a second officer and urged Tipperary County Council to make a business case for additional vacant housing officers. He recalled the Minister's commitment that any local authority wishing to appoint extra housing officers may submit a business case and that the Department would be receptive.
Request to tweak Cree-Konoha scheme
McGrath asked the Taoiseach and the Department of Housing to re-examine the Cree-Konoha scheme, saying it is currently - in his view - limited to Boner or Ockermire and is stymieing many applications. He argued the scheme should be tweaked to allow its use for the rental market and for people to refurbish vacant or derelict houses and bring them back into use.
Scheme uptake and grant levels
McGrath noted the scheme has had strong uptake with over 900 applicants. He restated the current grant parameters mentioned in the debate - up to 30,000 where a home has been vacant for over two years and up to 50,000 where the property is a derelict site - and encouraged further take-up to address the housing shortage.
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The Chief of County Tipperary and the size of it has only one vacant homes officer to cover the county and identify vacant houses and assess applications under Cree-Konoha and the repair and leasing scheme. As you know, there are significant interest, thankfully, in these grants from the public and with the county the size of Tipperary, I am asking the Department of Housing and some board to be found to appoint a second officer. So the grants can be turned around pretty quickly, the vacant houses can be assessed and there is efficiency in the scheme because it will make a dent on the housing crisis. In addition to this, I would ask you that your Department, Taoiseach, and the Department of Housing get together and re-examine Cree-Konoha because it is really a situation where it is only for Boner or Ockermire. It is stymieing a lot of the applications. We need to, I think, tweak this scheme to allow it to be used for rental market and whatever for people to do up to vacant houses, some derelict, and get them back into use. So that scheme needs to be tweaked. But we do need a second Housing Officer for this assessment. Mr O'Donnell, if you were here for questioning on housing about three weeks ago, the Minister gave a commitment that any local authority that wishes to appoint additional housing officers can make a business case to the Department and the Department would be very receptive. So I would ask you to go back to Tipperary County Council and make a case for the additional vacant housing officers, wherever they are required in Tipperary. Secondly, the Cree-Konoha scheme has been very successful to date. There are over 900 applicants. It is working up and down the country, as you are aware. 30,000 available where it is a vacant home, vacant house for over two years, up to 50,000 if it is a derelict site. This scheme is something we want people to take up. We want people to live in vacant houses and derelict houses. We would ask you, I suppose, at the very start, go back to Tipperary County Council and tell them, if they wish to appoint vacant officers, make the application of the business case to the Department. We are very receptive to it. Deputy Member for Safety Board of Safety Board of C Alicia. 31 Yes, view Church. Do you have an upper left leg of standing of the Constitution for the American law andMO? Ali Keversopoul. Amy Keversow. Shane Milam. Senior Mo haronibubs.
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