Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 19, inclusive, together.

The Cabinet committee on housing last met on 17 April. The next meeting will be held in June. The committee works to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the implementation of Housing for All. The plan is working. In the first quarter alone, more than 6,700 new homes were built, almost 20% more than the same quarter last year, carrying on the momentum of approximately 30,000 homes being built in 2022. That number does not include student accommodation or derelict homes brought back into use. Building started on more than 7,000 new homes in the first quarter of this year. Many more than 10,000 new mortgages were drawn down in the first quarter, with first-time buyers accounting for slightly more than half of these mortgages, making home ownership a reality again for thousands of people. This means more than 400 people are buying their first home every week, which is the highest since the Celtic tiger period.

There is also a strong pipeline of social and affordable housing, with almost 20,000 social homes at various stages of construction and more than 2,700 more affordable homes already approved for funding. We continue to see progress, including the growing take-up of the first homes scheme; the Land Development Agency receiving planning permission for more than 1,000 new homes; additional staff and board members for An Bord Pleanála to try to reduce the backlogs; and a further €41 million being provided in capital funding for student accommodation provided by third level institutions. We are progressing fundamental reforms in land management and planning and promoting innovation in construction.

We know we need to do more, which is why on 25 April we announced further actions under Housing for All to respond to the challenges in the external environment, such as rising costs of construction and financing. The package includes a commitment of up to €750 million via the Land Development Agency and other providers to complete 4,000 to 6,000 additional affordable homes to be available under the cost-rental system. We are reducing the cost of construction by suspending the development levies required to connect new homes to public infrastructure, such as water and other services, which we estimate will reduce building costs by approximately €12,000 per unit.

While these measures will bring forward newly built homes, we also recognise that often the most efficient way to deliver is to renovate buildings that already exist. For this reason, we increased the vacant property refurbishment grant from €30,000 to €50,000 for vacant properties and from €50,000 to €70,000 for derelict properties. It is now possible to get this grant for homes built prior to the end of 2007. Those grants are available to people who will live in these refurbished homes and to those who will rent them out. These measures and others in Housing for All are the most effective way to accelerate housing supply. Without additional supply, we will not be able to resolve this crisis.

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