Report of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group

managed and resourced effectively, within agreed achievable timescales
through an appropriate framework between the Department of the
Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Department of Health
and Children, local authorities and HSE to manage the process. It is
envisaged that agreed proposals will be reflected in the new national
housing strategy for people with a disability which is currently being
developed.
10.1.23 The Group also notes the recent amalgamation of the functions of a number
of housing bodies including the National Building Agency, Affordable Homes
Partnership, the Centre for Housing Research, and the Dublin Homeless
Agency (with regard to certain functions of relevance nationally) into a single
agency, the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency. Apart from
producing efficiencies in supporting the work of local authorities in this area
of service delivery, the new consolidated Agency should have as part of its
remit the dissemination of best practice across local authorities in areas
such as repair work on vacancies, administrative procedures to ensure that
new tenants occupy vacant dwellings as soon as possible and the
processing of adaptation grants on a shared service basis to secure
efficiency gains.
Recommendations:
10.1.24 In summary, the Group considers that the new direction implied by a
fundamental shift in the means of supplying social housing calls for a reexamination
of the profile of housing sections within local authorities.
Further potential savings are also possible through exploring options for
streamlining and sharing service provision in areas such as housing
assessment and the inspection of buildings. A greater emphasis is needed
at local level to identify and replicate best practice in housing management,
with the advice and assistance of housing support structures.
10.1.25 Thus the Group recommends that:
• Housing sections within local authorities be reconfigured to reflect the
more varied sources of housing supply, arising from a greater
emphasis on sourcing social housing units from the private sector
through RAS and long-term leasing;
• A single building inspectorate service could be established on a
regional basis to streamline the approach to the inspection of property.
This should be examined to see how a single inspection could serve
most if not all purposes across housing, planning, fire and other
functions – this process should also be facilitated through the
establishment of joint administrative areas (see section 6.4);
• The time needed to let and re-let social housing properties be further
reduced to improve supply and reduce costs, and encourage a more
efficient use of housing stock;
• The use of the professional services that are available from in-house
staff, from other local authority staff on a shared service basis or from
116