Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The latest Housing for All progress report, which covered quarter 4 of 2023, showed that the number of new homes delivered last year was the highest in 15 years, with 32,695 new homes completed in 2023, which is 10% higher than in 2022 and exceeds Housing for All’s 2023 target by almost 13%. The pipeline is also strong, with 32,800 new homes commencing construction in 2023 and permission granted for another 37,600 homes.

This is the highest number of annual commencements on record. It is an increase of over 21.5% compared with 2022. In fact, it is the highest number of annual residential commencements since records began in 2014.

Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority. The role of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is to ensure that a framework of policy, legislation and funding is provided to ensure that housing authorities are in a position to address homelessness at a local level. I can assure the Deputy that resources and funding are not an obstacle to the urgent efforts required. Budget 2024 reflects this commitment with the allocation of €242 million for homelessness services.

I know that Limerick City and County Council is doing everything in its power to address the severe pressures on access to emergency accommodation. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage continues to liaise with Limerick City and County Council in this regard. The RTB rent indices for quarter 3 of 2023 show that standardised average rent in Limerick city stood at €1,397 for new tenancies, while the standardised average rent for existing tenancies stood at €1,126. On average, rents in existing tenancies are significantly lower, by around 18%, than in new tenancies. The administrative area of Limerick City and County Council was prescribed as a rent pressure zone, RPZ, on 31 August last. Over 77% of tenancies nationwide are now in RPZs. Properties new to the market, including dwellings not on the market during the previous two years or the previous 12 months if the dwelling in question is a protected structure, can be set at market rent. New properties are not covered by the 2% rent increase cap for the initial rent setting but they are covered for all subsequent rent reviews in RPZs. Analysis carried out by the ESRI and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which was published in April 2022, suggested ongoing pressures in the general housing market and the robust macroeconomic recovery mean that without RPZ’s, rental inflation would be notably higher.

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