Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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4. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of homes that have been or that will be built in County Clare from 2020 to 2025 under the local authority affordable purchase scheme; if he will provide a breakdown for each of the four municipal districts Ennis, Killaloe, Shannon and west Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47617/22]

Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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Affordable housing schemes were introduced for the large and growing cohort of people who do not qualify for social housing but do not earn enough to buy a home or qualify for a mortgage. As I understand it, there are three different schemes. Two of them involve a loan that is essentially a top-up between the mortgage such people could raise on the open market and the price of a house. Only one of those schemes involves local authorities building houses to sell to people at an affordable rate. That is the local authority affordable purchase scheme. How many houses in Clare will be or have been built under that scheme? Are there any plans for an increase?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The affordable housing fund is available to assist all local authorities in bringing forward affordable housing schemes. Following the publication of the Government's Housing for All plan last September, I asked local authorities to prepare housing delivery action plans. Each local authority, including Clare County Council, was asked to assess the level of housing demand with affordability constraint projected for their area based on the housing need and demand assessment, and to plan accordingly. Clare County Council submitted an initial draft plan to my Department in December last and that plan was published in July. It is there for everyone to see.

The local authorities with the highest level of affordable housing need were asked to prepare affordable delivery plans as part of their overall plans and were set five-year affordable delivery targets. Clare does not at this stage have a specific target, as the average price levels are still well below the national median but I understand there may be some localised affordability issues within Clare specifically where there are localised challenges. If the affordability challenge is not met across the county, we allow that to be taken in specific areas. For Clare, funding can be made available to develop a scheme in line with the affordable housing fund. My officials met Clare County Council in July and two potential schemes were outlined for affordable housing in Clare. That is being worked through between my Department and Clare County Council. I welcome that because we have the funding to support it.

I have made changes to the affordable housing fund specifically to allow us to vary the subvention. One significant change is to allow that subvention, which means the State taking a stake in that home, to vary from €100,000 up to €150,000. The affordable housing fund has the resources to support local authorities such as Clare County Council. As I said, there are two schemes being worked on right now with the local authority. The council has yet to send in a submission. The last meeting between representatives of the council and my officials was in July of this year.

Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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Two of those schemes involve purchasers going into the private market so they are involved in a bidding war. The local authority is only involved in building houses under one of those schemes. The Minister has confirmed that Clare has no plans at the moment to enter that scheme. That will come as a surprise to the many people in Clare who are struggling to get a home. Incomes vary slightly across the country but perhaps not to the same extent of housing costs. People in Clare are now being told they do not qualify for the local authority affordable purchase schemes and there are no plans for the local authority to build any houses to sell on as affordable houses at the moment.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I did not say that.

Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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Is the Minister saying that the local authority is building houses to sell to people under the affordable purchase scheme or is it not? That is a simple question. The local authority is either doing so or it is not.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Let us not try to create a controversy that is not there.

Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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Okay.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Let us be straight about this. There are two schemes being worked on by Clare County Council. It must submit those plans to me. In a broad sense, we have already approved approximately 1,800 affordable purchase homes, led by local authorities in 12 different counties and under 27 projects. New counties, such as Wicklow, Westmeath and Limerick, have recently come into that fold. The fund is open and those are the first authorities to avail of it. In his opening remarks, the Deputy referenced the first home scheme whereby people will get assistance to buy private homes. That is not a second mortgage, by the way, but is an equity stake. That is open across all Twenty-six Counties. I hope to get those schemes from Clare County Council, should it work them through. We are approving new schemes every week and have the funds to do it. I encourage Clare County Council to make those submissions to me. These will be local authority-led affordable schemes. There are two being worked on at the moment. Waterford County Council has five schemes in place. As for Cork County Council, I visited Mallow on Monday, where affordable homes are being built. They are going to be sold this year. The scheme is open to Clare.

Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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I am glad the Minister went to Mallow to see the houses that are going to be sold to people at an affordable rate. However, the people of Clare want houses and not ideas. The Minister told me initially that Clare does not qualify under the various criteria or that homes were deemed already to be affordable in comparison with other counties. It came as a surprise to me when I heard that this summer and it will come as a surprise to others. If the Minister is saying that the delay is on the part of Clare County Council, I am happy to go back to the council, but that is not what I am hearing from its representatives. The Minister is saying the delay is a result of Clare County Council not having its act together and I would be surprised if that were the case. If it is the case, I am happy to go back to the council. If the problem is the criteria the Department is laying down, which I understood to be the case, that needs to be addressed at a national level.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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No one is saying that Clare County Council is dragging its feet. The fund has been open for approximately one year. As I said, we have already approved 27 projects across the country in that year. Many of those are now being built. Over 1,800 affordable homes will be provided through local authorities. I have given examples of other counties that have made submissions. This is not back-of-an-envelope stuff. A proper submission must be made. We will provide the funding accordingly. I have changed the affordable housing fund to allow the subvention to increase and vary from €100,000 to €150,000 so we can ensure that people in Clare can buy affordable homes, led by the local authority. The first home scheme is open to all Twenty-six Counties. We have had over 460 eligibility-----

Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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That is not what I am talking about. I am asking specifically about the scheme in Clare.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I might sit down with the Deputy and explain the schemes to him in more detail. I am happy to meet him. I am saying that to be fair to the local authority, it has to put work together to make a submission to seek the subvention under the affordable housing fund. The fund is open to all local authorities, including Clare County Council. We will continue to work with the local authority to bring those schemes forward. I await those schemes. I am more than happy to engage directly with Clare County Council, as I have done with many other local authorities. I have given examples of counties that have brought forward their first schemes and there are more coming.