The Government's long-awaited Housing Plan is expected to include much greater use of compulsory purchase orders by local authorities to deal with derelict properties.
It is understood the plan will include a provision that in cases where the owners of vacant and derelict properties fail to engage with local authorities, councils will use compulsory acquisition powers to buy properties.
Local authorities will have access to Urban Regeneration and Development Funds to finance compulsory purchases.
Under the plan, the Derelict Sites Act - which deals with vacant properties - will also be reformed and will be enforced by the Revenue Commissioners, following an announcement in the Budget.
Local authorities will increase the number of sites on their derelict site registers in their own areas and increase the enforcement of unpaid levies.
There will also be a national register of derelict sites published annually including mapping and standardised details for each individual site registered by local authorities.
The Housing Plan is expected to include a commitment that 20,000 homes will be brought back into use supported by the Vacant Refurbishment Grant.
There is also expected to be a commitment to improve, extend and expand the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant by introducing an Above The Shop top-up grant and an Expert Advice Grant to support bringing more homes and vacant shop spaces back to into use as homes.
The plan has been under negotiation by senior figures in the Coalition over recent months and is expected to be published in the coming weeks.
The plan includes a commitment to spend hundreds of million euro on the launch of a new Starter Homes Programme which promotes home ownership and long-term rentals.
The scheme is aimed at delivering an average of 15,000 affordable housing supports every year to 2031.
The Housing Plan would see an expanded the role and the remit for the State's Land Development Agency to deliver more starter homes.
It would also increase the house prices and income limits for the Local Authority Home Loan scheme to ensure it remains accessible in the current housing market. The scheme can be used to purchase a new, second hand or self build properties.
The regulation of the rental market will also stepped up by further investment in the Residential Tenancies Board with more funding for the organisation's resources, processes and IT systems.
Under the plan the Government will also recommit to a price register of rental properties.
It will include a commitment to provide greater access to more affordable tenancies by accelerating the growth of the cost rental sector.
