Ms Annette Aspell:

I thank the Deputy for her comments on the delivery programme. Yes, it was successful in terms of Rebuilding Ireland. That was a good programme for us.

On targets, our targets reflect need. I mean that our targets are based on the summary of social housing assessment and set by the Department. We work towards our targets. As the Deputy noted, under the Rebuilding Ireland programme we delivered about 11% above our targets. We will always strive to deliver more, if we can. Obviously the programme is based on the funding model from the Department too. There is no indication that the Department would not fund additional delivery, if we had the capacity to deliver that. I do not see any issue there.

In terms of HAP tenants, yes, this year we did have a small acquisition programme approved by the Department. We have been successful in securing some of those tenants in their properties. We hope to be able to do that work again next year but there has been no indication as yet whether the scheme will remain in place for 2023. We would have people that we could accommodate if we have access to the funding. We will wait and see if we get confirmation on that.

On the money that we have received, we do not get an allocation at the start of the year. We get funding based on what we request from the Department. I do not have an overall figure for what we have spent. I am certain that what we have spent has been recouped and we will have further recoupment before the end of the year. There is no issue with funding drawdown and we get the funding that we request.

In terms of Traveller accommodation, the funding model has been changed. Heretofore, we received an allocation of funding per year but now funding is based on the proposals that we put forward. At the moment we are working towards delivering a group housing programme that is adjacent to the halting site in Athy. The Department has taken the project through the first phase of approval. We are moving on with the project at the moment.

We have a relatively low vacancy rate in our housing stock. We do not traditionally have a very extensive voids programme in County Kildare. We run at between 2% and 2.5% of our stock being vacant at any one time but that is natural turnover. We have some properties that have been fire damaged and things like that, which take time to bring through the process. We are mindful of trying to improve turnaround in terms of vacancy and it is something that we are actively working on.