Local authority housing to the value of more than €140 million remains unoccupied in both Cork city and county t despite record numbers of people now on local authority housing lists.

Figures from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government obtained by the Cork Independent also show that the percentage of vacant houses in the possession of Cork's two local authorities is increasing.

The figures indicate that in 2004 4.6 per cent of the city council's housing stock and 3.54 per cent of the county council's housing stock were vacant. In 2005, the most recent year for which figures are available these figures had risen to six per cent in the city and four per cent in the county. The figures for 2005 show that in 2005 the 479 properties in the City Council area were vacant, and 226 in the County Council area were vacant, a total of 705. Valuing these properties at an average of €200,000 each indicates that housing to a total value of E141 million was vacant in Cork in 2005.

The issue has been raised by the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Cork TD Bernard Allen who said that he would be calling on the Secretary General of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to account for the numbers of local authority houses that are vacant nationwide.

The Fine Gael TD also said that he would investigate whether the directors of local authority housing departments could also be brought before the committee to explain the situation. The PAC has also requested the Department to supply figures relating to 2007 which it says will be available in a number of weeks.

Deputy Allen said, "We wont have the 2007 figures for a while but I'm not optimistic they will show an improvement in the situation. It is totally unacceptable that at a time when housing waiting lists are at record highs such a large amount of property should be vacant.

"No doubt there are acceptable reasons why some houses are empty such as regeneration schemes but not on this scale. This raises major questions about the efficiency with which local authorities operate and in my role as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee I will be seeking answers," he said.