Skip The "Bells and Whistles" – Tanaiste Scolds Councils Over Upgrades Holding Back Vacant Homes

Friday, 20 June 2025 15:53

By Martin Osborne

In remarks delivered in the Dáil, Harris said the Government would soon issue a circular to all local authorities, directing them to stop holding back homes for unnecessary upgrades.

Tanaiste Simon Harris has sharply criticised local authorities for allowing thousands of council homes to sit empty during a national housing crisis, saying people simply want homes that are “safe and warm” and not “the devil and all done.”

In remarks delivered in the Dáil, Harris said the Government would soon issue a circular to all local authorities, directing them to stop holding back homes for unnecessary upgrades.

"I have had a lot of discussions with a lot of people who are saying, "Hang on, if only I could get into that house. I do not need the devil and all done, I just need it to be safe and warm," Harris said.

“Health and safety should be the only grounds for the delay of the giving out of a local authority home,” he said.

The issue of vacancy has drawn increasing scrutiny amid wider concerns over missed housing targets and under-delivery.

Fianna Fail recently stated that it accepts the number of vacant homes is unacceptable, but doesn't think all the blame should lie with the government.

Figures released to Sinn Fein showed nearly 3 thousand council homes are currently vacant.

Of those, around 700 have been idle for more than a year.

129 homes are vacant in Kildare.