Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank everyone for their contributions. I reiterate what the Minister, Deputy said; we will oppose the motion and the subsequent Opposition amendment. I emphasise that we are committed. We have a Housing for All document and plan, which is detailed. We understand the impact that housing is having on people but I want to deal in facts. I have listened to all of the debate and I want to look at a few points and at the Sinn Féin motion.

We are making progress. In the first nine months of this year, up to the end of September, we saw 22,500 houses completed, which is up 9% on last year. Commencements are at 24,000, up 14% on last year. Some 22,500 social houses are in the pipeline. We have 770 affordable and cost-rental houses. Vacancy came up a good number of times. In its motion, Sinn Féin referred to 4,000 vacancies. Under the Croí Cónaithe scheme, which has only been in place for a short time, we have had 4,600 applications. Deputy Wynne made reference to the changes to the scheme. We amended the scheme to bring the thresholds from €30,000 to €50,000 and from €50,000 to €70,000. We also amended it to ensure it could be made available for rental properties. We are continually keeping schemes under review but that scheme has proven to be a great success.

Others have referenced people being able to purchase homes. Governments have to make policy decisions. It is easy in opposition - and I was there myself - to make statements without outlining policies. I mentioned what we have brought in and I would like to hear from Deputy Ó Broin on this when he responds. Sinn Féin opposed the help-to-buy scheme, which is about providing a deposit for people to purchase their home, which many people find difficult to get together, and banks will take the help-to-buy scheme towards a deposit for a home. People in the scheme are getting back the hard-earned taxes they paid. Sinn Féin consistently opposed the first home scheme, which nearly 2,600 people have been approved to take up. We have had nearly 6,400 applications for same, and 3,900 of those came this year alone. Sinn Féin opposed the local authority affordable housing purchase scheme. Deputy Ó Broin can confirm that to me but that is similar to Sinn Féin's stance on the first home scheme.

Deputy Connolly, who is in the Chair, made reference to the Mazars report, which was produced for the Department of Finance last year, not this year. I looked at that report in great depth and the Department of Finance has amended that scheme to ensure that it is just a local authority affordable housing purchase scheme. Currently, if someone is above a discount of approximately 22%, they will not qualify for the help to buy scheme. We have amended the local authority affordable housing purchase scheme so that if the equity stake plus the mortgage is above 70%, applicants will qualify for the help-to-buy scheme. We want people who are above the social housing income limit to be able to aspire to own home. That means that under the local authority affordable housing purchase scheme there is a discount of up to 40%. They will now be able to avail of that and also qualify for the help-to-buy scheme. That has been circulated to all of the local authorities. We have put forward €270 million for the delivery of 4,300 affordable homes between 2022 and 2027 across 72 schemes and 20 local authorities. This is a good scheme to make the purchase of houses affordable. I mentioned the Croí Cónaithe scheme, which Sinn Féin has consistently opposed. That is a good scheme and the party needs to clarify its stance on that.

On social housing, last year we had more than 10,263 homes added, nearly 7,500 of which were new builds, which was the highest figure in recent decades. We have done that against the backdrop of increasing construction and energy costs and rising interest rates, which many Deputies made reference to. On the affordable purchase scheme, 750 homes have been produced in 2022 and we are looking to exceed that this year. It is not fair to say that we have not increased the capital spend on housing; it is €5.1 billion this year, while it was €4.5 billion last year. We look at it as an holistic approach. It is done through the local authorities, the LDA, the Housing Agency and others.

Others have made reference to the zoning of lands. We are doing a report on the national planning framework, based on the census 2022 figures. We will look to update it in that regard. The public spending code was referenced and elements of that are under way. The limit of €100 million will increase to €200 million and that is going to Cabinet. The capital appraisal guidelines have been changed and the work is under way on the public spending code. We hope to have the infrastructure guidelines published shortly.

On vacancy generally, we have given €150 million to the local authorities under the third call. We want well over 4,000 units to come back in under that. We want the councils to purchase units, make them available for people to live in, have a revolving fund and have it be self-financing in time. It is a start-up fund for local authorities. We are looking at 4,000 properties entering the activation programme. Vacancy is being tackled across a multitude of areas, including in the private sector through the Croí Cónaithe scheme.

We have increased the rent tax credit from €500 to €750 and potentially €1,500 will be available to a couple renting their home. The increase in the price of houses was referenced. The latest data shows that the annual price increase nationally to the end of August is 1%. It is down 1.9% in Dublin and it is up 3% beyond that. Trends are going in the right direction. Any moment in time can be picked but I want to deal in current data. Our top priority is to deliver social, affordable and cost-rental housing. There is a strong pipeline of social housing with 22,600 units.

We put €242 million into homelessness this year, which is 12.5%. We know that is very difficult for people. In the last quarter, we took just over 1,269 people out of homelessness. That is 1,269 people who were either prevented from going into homelessness or who exited homelessness during that period. That is a significant increase on the comparable period in 2022. We saw 566 people exit homelessness, which is approximately 4%. We have put €35 million into the housing first scheme. Some 945 people are currently being housed under that scheme, which is for people who are homeless. Some 446 tenancies have been created since 2022.

Housing for All is up and running for 26 months. We will do everything in our power to increase affordability in the rental market in terms of cost rental.

I will finish on a point relating to people being unable to purchase homes. We have the first home scheme, the help-to-buy scheme, the local authority affordable housing purchase scheme and the Croí Cónaithe scheme. They are all there to ensure people can afford to purchase their own home. The question is where Sinn Féin stands on that.

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