Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question. Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new-build social homes in the period 2022 to 2026. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new-build projects delivered by local authorities and approved housing bodies. For 2023, the Government agreed increased provision for social housing acquisitions. This has continued into 2024 and my Department has approved funding for the acquisition of 1,500 homes this year by local authorities and approved housing bodies. This is 1,300 more than the target originally set for 2024 in Housing for All and speaks to the Government's commitment in this regard. The additional acquisitions are focused on properties where a tenant in receipt of social housing supports has received a notice of termination due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property. Each local authority has been provided with a provisional allocation for social housing acquisitions in 2024 with additional headroom of 50% on the allocation available under delegated sanction. Acquisitions above this are subject to a sanction request. The Department issued a circular letter to local authorities in March and additional guidance in this regard in June. It is a matter for individual local authorities to identify suitable acquisitions in line with local circumstances and their social housing allocation policy.

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