Mr. Bob Jordan:

I thank the Cathaoirleach and members for the opportunity to present to the Committee of Public Accounts on the 2020 financial statements of the Housing Agency, the agency's revolving acquisitions fund, and the work of the agency. I am joined by my colleagues Mr. Jim Baneham, director of delivery and innovation, and Ms Claire Feeney, director of services and inclusion.

The Housing Agency's purpose is to provide expertise and solutions to help deliver sustainable communities throughout Ireland. We do this by being a centre of expertise on housing, supporting housing policy development, and implementing effective housing programmes in collaboration with others. We work with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, local authorities and approved housing bodies, in the delivery of housing and housing services. The agency also implements the pyrite remediation scheme on behalf of the Pyrite Resolution Board.

To meet the challenges facing our society in respect of housing, the Housing Agency's role and work has increased significantly in recent years. Our work is closely aligned with the Government's national housing strategy, Housing for All. New areas of work include the cost rental equity loan, the enhanced defective concrete blocks grant scheme, the Croí Cónaithe cities scheme, and the management of the land acquisition fund. We will also be playing a role in resolving defects in apartments, which was announced yesterday. Our operational budget for 2023 is €16 million and we currently have 133 staff in the agency.

The Housing Agency's acquisitions fund of €70 million was established at the beginning of 2017. The agency's role was to engage with banks and investment funds, in areas of high levels of social housing demand, to acquire vacant residential units for social housing. Separate to the fund, the agency's acquisitions team has acquired properties for local authorities and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to support the delivery of accommodation for international protection applicants. In 2014, the Housing Agency was given responsibility for regulating approved housing bodies under the voluntary regulation code.

This role ceased at the end of 2021 following the establishment of an independent authority - the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority, which is here with us today. To facilitate this transition, the Housing Agency provided the agency with administrative support that concluded at the end of 2022.

The Housing Agency has a number of priorities. Our first priority is supporting the delivery of more affordable housing. We do this through providing cost-rental equity loans and central underwriting for local authority home loans and facilitating the provision of affordable purchase homes by local authorities. Another priority is increasing the supply of social and private homes. This will be achieved through our technical team to increase supports to local authorities and AHBs. We will be managing the roll-out of the Croí Cónaithe city scheme and are supporting the delivery of the Town Centre First policy to address vacancy and dereliction. We will also be purchasing land for social housing through the land acquisition fund.

Our third priority is addressing social inclusion issues, including co-ordinating the delivery of the national Housing First programme to end long-term homelessness, supporting the implementation of the national housing strategy for disabled people and supporting international protection.

Regarding the remediation of defective homes, we oversee the delivery of the pyrite remediation scheme. We will be supporting local authorities later this year in the enhanced defective concrete blocks grant scheme and will also be involved in the resolution of defects in apartments.

Finally, we contribute to policy development and public discourse by undertaking research. Our research covers three themes - affordability, sustainable communities and social inclusion. For example, we undertake the summary of social housing assessments annually. The Housing Agency is central to the successful delivery of homes and sustainable communities across Ireland. We are committed to ensuring there is financial probity, good governance structures and efficient measures in place to meet the remit and objectives of the agency.

I thank the Comptroller and Auditor General and his staff for their assistance and courtesy in conducting their work. I thank the committee and the Chairman for their attention and will answer any questions they may have.