Thomas Gould

They were more worried about being sued. I was worried about my child.

I get what these parents are going through. They need answers now.

What about the genocide? What about going through the genocide?

It is blood money.

Cop yourself on. Children are being killed right now.

What about the people of Cork?

People will be homeless-----

He is the Minister for housing; he will not do a jot.

I have 33 families in Cork.

Thirty-three families will be homeless in the next few weeks and you will not do anything about it.

Tell that to the families becoming homeless.

They want me up here shouting because you will not do your job.

3. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the timeline of the completion of the stock audit across all local authorities. [24904/25]

Will the Minister of State provide the timeline for the completion of the stock survey across all local authorities?

On 11 November 2021, the former Minister informed me in a parliamentary question answer that the stock audit would take place across all local authorities and would take four to five years. As the Minister of State pointed out, that would have allowed for a planned maintenance programme for 2022 and 2023 - we are at least two, if not three, years behind schedule - and the voids programme to end. T…

I thank the Minister of State. He said the majority of local authorities were carrying these surveys out. How many local authorities have carried them out? How much of the stock has been surveyed? Are there available figures that the Minister of State can provide me? Cork City Council has 11,000 properties. As far as I know, no stock survey has been done and the Government want to get rid of the v…

In 2021, the then Minister said it and that the maintenance scheme would be put in place in 2022 and 2023. The Government said that. Is the Minister of State now disagreeing with what the previous Minister said? We are looking for facts and figures. When will the surveys be done? I have some figures, so I will give the Minister of State an idea of the allocations. The Government is allocating €67…

I will provide one more figure. In the area of maintenance, the cost is reckoned to be €1,200, but the Government is giving €63.

The Government has to fund it, though.

The Minister outlined the amount of money given to the tenant in situ scheme. Two weeks ago, I raised with the Taoiseach and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, the 33 families in Cork whose houses were sale agreed. Cork City Council was going to buy the houses but on 4 April it informed Cork City Council councillors that there was no money left to go ahead. I was told the Government was goi…

12. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the derelict sites levy collection in 2024. [24896/25]

Will the Minister of State provide an update on the amount collected by means of the derelict sites levy in 2024? We know that the derelict sites register and the derelict sites levy together constitute one of the only ways to get at landlords who are hoarding properties and letting them fall into rack and ruin.

As the Minister of State said, the latest figures he has are for 2023. The new figures will arrive e shortly. As the Minister of State outlined, there are 1,913 derelict sites on the register. What is shocking is that only one in three have been levied. Thirteen local authorities applied no levy. Seventeen did not collect even one cent. In 2023, local authorities that applied the levies sought €5.…

Local authorities have a legal obligation to enforce the Derelict Sites Act. They are not doing it. Deputies Browne and Cummins are the Ministers responsible. It is as simple as that. This is a legal obligation which local authorities have and which is not being enforced. Local authorities also tell me that they do not have the staff or resources to do this work. In reply to a question I put to …

Will there be supplementary questions?