Just 18 Homes Delivered Under Repair And Leasing Scheme - FF

Fianna Fáil have criticised the government following the news that just 18 homes have been delivered and tenanted in Dublin through the Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) that was rolled out in February 2017.

TD for Dublin Mid-West, John Curran, was commenting after receiving a Parliamentary Response on the issue.

Deputy Curran said: "The RLS is yet another failed attempt by the Government to deliver the level of new social housing homes it had promised much like many of the schemes under the Rebuilding Ireland programme.

"The Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) was developed to assist private property owners and local authorities or Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to harness the accommodation potential that exists in certain vacant dwellings across Ireland.

"The RLS has not delivered the level of new homes envisaged. Figures released to me show that 81 applications were made in the four local authorities in Dublin with only 14 lease agreements signed. In my own area of South Dublin County Council not one application has been made under the scheme and not one property in the area has been delivered under the Scheme.

"In the most recent reply to my Parliamentary Question the Minister for Housing indicated that figures up to Q4 in 2018 show that 1260 applications have been received nationally with 132 lease agreements but only 89 properties are operational through the Repair and Lease scheme across the country.

"It is shocking to think that in the Capital City where there is an estimated 30,000 vacant properties that a mere 18 properties have been turned into a suitable home to house the many people who are waiting to be housed over a period of 2 years. In Dublin the scheme has simply failed to address the housing and homelessness crisis.

"The Government attempted to address a number of problems with the scheme and changes were made in an attempt to make the scheme more attractive to property owners. However that was in February 2018 – 17 months ago now.

"I sincerely hope that the entire scheme is re-examined particularly with the issues effecting property owners in Dublin. To date the scheme has failed miserably to deliver in the Capital," concluded Deputy Curran.

(MH/CM)