10pc of HSE properties vacant for year are in Westmeath
Almost 10 per cent of HSE-owned properties nationwide that have been vacant for more than 12 months are in Westmeath.
Figures supplied to Deputy Sorca Clarke in response to a parliamentary query revealed that there are 120 buildings nationwide that have been vacant for longer than a year - and of those, 11 are in Westmeath.
The greatest number of vacant sites (30) is in Dublin and there are 19 in Cork, the figures show.
Deputy Clarke , describing the figures as “deeply concerning”, said: “At a time when families are struggling to find affordable housing and communities are crying out for investment in local health services, it is unacceptable that dozens of publicly owned buildings are sitting empty for more than a year.”
The response to Deputy Clarke from the HSE disclosed that 120 HSE-owned buildings at 76 property sites that are in disposal have been vacant for more than 12 months.
There are an additional 108 buildings that are considered as Retained Assets across 63 unique property site locations.
Public assets
“These are public assets, and the government have a responsibility to ensure they are put to productive use,” Deputy Clarke said.
“The HSE say they are engaging with the Land Development Agency, the Dept of Housing, local authorities and other state bodies as part of an all-of-government approach to increasing housing stock - but ‘engagement’ is not enough.
“People need to see these properties brought back into use much faster than the current speed.”
The Sinn Féin TD for Longford Westmeath said that in cases where these buildings are genuinely surplus to healthcare requirements, the government need to move at pace to determine whether they can be converted into housing, community facilities or other services that are badly needed locally.
“The government say they are doing all they can to increase housing supply while publicly owned buildings sit vacant for years.
“The state must make better use of the assets it already owns,” she said.
“I am calling on the minister for health to publish a clear plan for each of these long-term vacant properties, including the intended future use, the timeframe for action and whether the property can contribute to housing delivery.
“Public land and buildings belong to the public. They should be working for communities, not sitting empty.”
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