Galway Bay fm newsroom - A Galway TD says the Government is missing out on a major opportunity by refusing to recognise the potential to bring back vacant houses into use.
Deputy Sean Canney says the housing supply issue is a difficult and complex issue, but every town and village has properties boarded up for many years.
He points out the 2016 census shows there are almost 250 thousand vacant dwellings nationwide.
Deputy Canney believes the main obstacles are the cost of refurbishment, planning constraints, reluctance of owners to sell vacant properties, and lack of services in towns and villages.
But Deputy Canney argues there are solutions the Government can make available that will help in the short-term.
These include planning exemptions, expansion of the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan, additional tax credits, temporary exemptions from local property tax, and the introduction of new town and village group waste water schemes.
He also believes that owners of vacant properties should be incentivised to sell - or face increased vacant site levies or eventually, potential CPO.
Deputy Canney says there is enormous potential in vacant properties and they could make a difference in the housing crisis.
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