The time it takes to refurbish a vacant council property in the Tralee Municipal District is unlikely to improve this year.
This is according to a response from council management to Cllr Paul Daly, who asked for details of the plan to reduce turnaround times for voids.
The Sinn Féin councillor was told that many vacant properties in the district require substantial refurbishment.
Kerry County Council said that as of 20 June, there were 22 void dwellings in the Tralee Municipal District.
Of these, seven were under repair and already allocated.
Three repaired dwellings were awaiting allocation, and one had been allocated and was awaiting occupation.
Eleven properties were still awaiting repairs; four of these had been scheduled for completion by the end of summer, five were newly vacant and under assessment, one had been completed since the report, and another was due to begin refurbishment shortly.
Kerry County Council’s housing department stated that the return of voids has significantly improved in recent years.
In 2024, 157 voids were returned to the housing stock, up from 122 in 2023, 60 in 2022, and 71 in 2021, .
Management reiterated that many of these require extensive work, which continues to negatively affect turnaround times.
While acknowledging that turnaround times remain long, management anticipate significant improvement in the future.
Councillor Daly questioned whether void refurbishment is carried out solely by contractors or if council-employed staff are also involved.
Mayor Terry O’Brien seconded the motion and proposed assembling a local team to tackle the high number of vacant properties in the Tralee district.
He suggested bundling voids into groups of five and inviting builders with available teams to express interest, with the aim of agreeing a fair price collaboratively.
He criticised the current system as ineffective, noting it had led to negative experiences for many.
While he expressed appreciation for the housing department’s work, he voiced frustration at the number of vacant homes in the district despite high housing demand.
In response, management stated that Tralee has one of the largest direct labour crews in the county.
They said refurbishment work is carried out using a mix of contractors and direct labour.
Management said Tralee has a high turnover of voids and a strong track record in managing them, partly because many voids require only minor work, allowing for quicker turnaround.
However, they acknowledged that more complex cases, such as those involving asbestos, can lead to delays.
Although there is no set target for improvement, management said efforts to reduce turnaround times are ongoing, with progress expected over the coming years.
