Vacant homes to meet housing needs

THERE are more than 100,000 vacant houses nationwide which the Department of the Environment now wants to secure to solve social housing problems.

Junior minister for housing Michael Finneran said the latest figures available to him are that there are 100,000 to 140,000 vacant properties across the country, not including holiday homes. At least 10,000 of these are in Dublin.

He now wants to target these for extended long term leasing and rental accommodation schemes to meet growing demands for social housing.