John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank everybody for their contributions. I reassert the Government's commitment to tackling the challenges we collectively face in the housing sector. As a 37-year-old, I am acutely aware of the impact these challenges have on my generation and those younger than me. I have taken note of some of the suggestions and points made by Deputies and I will touch on a couple of them. Standardised templates were referenced. They have been in place since 2022 for all social housing projects. Reference was made to the single-stage approval process. We are committed in the programme for Government to reducing red tape and streamlining the approval process, and we want to see further take-up from local authorities. We note the comments with regard to compulsory purchase orders. It is a desire of mine to ensure we have a more streamlined approach to them. Points were made on rightsizing solutions and infrastructure provision. I agree with these, which will be known because I sat on the Oireachtas joint committee with other Members of the House for a number of years.

I will now touch on a few other points. As a Government, we understand the urgency and need to ensure that sufficient secure and affordable homes are delivered to purchasers. We will commit to working tirelessly to address these challenges and implement policies that will make a positive difference. I want to work collectively with Deputies throughout the House to bring forward solutions to the challenges we face. I do not think simplistic soundbites are helpful to the debate. They do not build houses. We need to work collectively to achieve the goal shared by all of us to increase the delivery of housing. Some of the comments made this morning do not fairly represent the efforts and progress made to date.

The motion asserts that Housing for All has failed and is not delivering. As the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, highlighted, more than 100,000 homes have been added to the national housing stock since Housing for All was published in 2021. Is it enough? Of course not but we have to acknowledge that Housing for All has helped to establish a solid platform to scale up delivery further in the short term and secure a sustainable level of supply that will help us meet unmet and emerging demand over the coming years.

The current plan is supported by a record €6 billion in capital investment in 2025, supporting initiatives already in place as well as the targeted delivery of 41,000 new homes this year. This will further increase the availability of starter homes to buy and rent through schemes such as the affordable purchase scheme, cost rental, the help-to-buy scheme, the first home scheme and the vacant property refurbishment grant. Since 2020, we have ramped up the delivery of social and affordable housing. From January 2020 to the end of 2024, the Government has overseen 146,000 houses being added to, or brought back into, the national housing stock, including more than 133,000 new builds, 1,900 units in unfinished housing developments and almost 11,000 vacant properties brought back into use.

Housing commencement notices also demonstrate encouraging trends, with 60,000 such notices issued last year. We are confident the majority of these, accelerated by targeted Government measures, will translate to new home completions in the next two years. We know there is significantly more work on site now than there was a year ago, a fact supported by yesterday's AIB PMI, that is, purchasing managers' index for construction survey, which confirmed a fifth consecutive month of expanding residential construction activity despite very poor weather in January. New home delivery will rebound this year, with a further increase expected next year.

Between the launch of Housing for All and the end of the third quarter of 2024, more than 10,000 affordable housing supports were delivered. Moreover, as the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, pointed out, the level of affordable housing supports provided in 2024 far outstrips 2023 delivery.

The momentum will continue as the pipeline is developed by local authorities, approved housing bodies and the Land Development Agency.

The supply of new-build social homes also continues to be at a level higher than it has been for many years. In the 12 months to quarter 3 last year, almost 11,400 new social homes were delivered through new build, acquisition and leasing. When the housing assistance payment and rental accommodation scheme are added in, the total level of social housing supports over the 12 months to the end of quarter 3 last year was in excess of 21,000. The strongest national delivery of social housing since 1975 was recorded in 2022 when more than 10,000 homes were delivered. This record was exceeded again in 2023 when 12,000 new social homes were delivered. The strength of the current pipeline coupled with the traditional surge in the final quarter suggests that a similar delivery output in 2024 will be achieved despite the overall dip in new home completions.

Our ambition is to deliver much more, with a commitment to deliver a further 12,000 new-build social homes on average every year between now and 2030. We will continue to do so in partnership with local authorities and our other delivery partners. While the dip in overall delivery in 2024 was disappointing, as the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, pointed out, we remain on an upward trajectory. It is important to put the 2024 figures in context. It is clear that while we saw an increase of 4.6% in delivery of scheme houses, we simultaneously saw a reduction of 24% in apartment completions, which clearly impacted our output for 2024. While many Deputies will have different viewpoints. it is clear that there has been a significant drop-off in the level of institutional investment in the apartment sector. We all want to see a vibrant, affordable private rental sector with an abundant supply and choice with protections in place for renters. However, we can no longer allow the ill-informed commentary around private investment in the sector to continue. While the State has stepped up to become the largest player in the delivery of housing, we have to be honest and say that the State cannot do it all. In order to achieve the level of housing completions that all of us in this House want to see, we need to have private sector investment as well as significant investment from the State. I do not see it as an either-or scenario but one where both work in tandem.

Homelessness remains a serious concern and is a top priority for this Government. It is a complex issue requiring varying responses to suit different circumstances. It is also interrelated with other areas of the housing system. As a Government, we will continue to deploy a whole-of-government approach to address this significant issue.

The motion calls for the Government to expand the tenant in situ acquisitions programme. Before coming to the Chamber, I listened to some of the contributions Deputies made in relation to the programme. As Members know, it was introduced in 2023 and extended into 2024. Local authorities bought 2,250 HAP and RAS homes with tenants in situ. These acquisitions were funded directly by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Government agrees it is important that local authorities have the option to purchase a property where a social housing tenant is at risk of homelessness due to a notice of termination. In addition, given that we are now seeing the highest delivery of social housing, local authorities also have to use other options such as allocating social housing tenancies to social tenants in the private sector availing of HAP and RAS who are in receipt of a valid notice of termination. That said, we are examining the scope for a further extension of the programme. This will be notified to local authorities shortly.

The motion claims that the Government is not doing enough. However, I believe we have securely laid the foundation and built a housing pipeline that will allow us to continue to ramp up delivery in the coming years. We will continue to invest at unprecedented levels to ensure that we build a sustainable housing system where, ultimately, supply meets demand. Budget 2025 provides for continued record investment in housing with Exchequer funding of €4.85 billion. This is supplemented by funding to the LDA. The Government is committed to working with Opposition parties and Deputies to ramp up the supply and delivery of housing. I look forward to working with Deputies in the period ahead.

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