Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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498. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the total number of applications for the Croí Cónaithe towns grant; the number approved and the number drawn down with totals for each question; the breakdown by local authority area and the average grant amount approved and drawn down in each local authority area. [13783/23]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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507. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of persons who availed of the vacant properties refurbishment grant in each month since it was announced; and the amount of money drawn down from the scheme in each month since it was announced, in tabular form. [13936/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 498 and 507 together.

Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. Many areas of cities, towns and villages of all sizes face the blight of vacant properties, which, if brought back into use, could add real vibrancy and provide new accommodation in those areas. The Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund is a key initiative which underpins these policy objectives set out in Pathway Four of Housing for All.

In July 2022, the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was launched as part of the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund. The grant benefits those who wish to turn a formerly vacant house or building into their principal private residence. The grant, which was initially launched in respect of vacant properties in towns and villages, was expanded to include eligible vacant properties in both cities and rural areas from 15 November 2022.

On 21 September 2022, the Ready to Build Scheme was launched, also funded by the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund. Under the Ready to Build Scheme, local authorities will make serviced sites in towns and villages available to potential individual purchasers to build their homes. These sites will be available at a discount on the market value of the site for the building of a property for occupation as the principal private residence of the purchaser.

My Department publishes data on applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant on its website on a quarterly basis. This data includes numbers of applications received by local authority, applications approved and rejected and application type. Up to 31 December 2022, the average grant amount approved was €34,787. Data on the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: gov.ie - Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Statistics (www.gov.ie)

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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500. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide in tabular form the total number of homes delivered under each the following affordable homes schemes in 2022 -CREL, AHF, LDA- with a breakdown by local authority area, housing scheme name and average price. [13785/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Housing for All sets out the range of actions necessary to increase the supply of housing to the required 33,000 homes, on average, per year over the next decade. 54,000 affordable home interventions will be delivered between now and 2030 to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.

In implementing the key objectives under Housing for All, each local authority has prepared and published a Housing Delivery Action Plan in respect of local authority supported or overseen delivery from 2022 to 2026. 18 local authorities with a strong and identified affordable housing need were set affordable housing delivery targets and asked to include their planned affordable housing delivery in their Housing Delivery Action Plans. These plans were published on the local authorities’ respective websites in July 2022.

2022 represented the first year of a very ambitious programme of delivery of affordable housing. This momentum will continue with delivery stepping up this year. A pipeline of housing delivery is in place and under continuous development by local authorities, by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and by the LDA.

Local Authorities are in the process of systematically collating information on delivery of affordable purchase and Cost Rental homes in their administrative areas (including returns for AHBs and the LDA), in the same manner as is currently undertaken for social housing. 2022 year end returns have now been submitted by Local Authorities to my Department and are currently being verified against Departmental information. Informed by this data, I expect that my Department will be in a position to report confirmed Local Authority wide 2022 social, affordable purchase and cost rental housing delivery shortly.