Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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10. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount allocated to Roscommon County Council for the tenant in situ scheme for 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24656/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Daly for raising this important question in relation to Roscommon County Council and the funding allocated for the tenant in situ scheme for 2025. I thank the Deputy for his ongoing engagement in relation to this important issue.

The Government is providing continuing and substantial financial support to local authorities to acquire second-hand properties for priority categories of social housing need, including tenants in situ who have been in receipt of supports under HAP and RAS and who had received a notice of termination. The other priority categories for second-hand acquisitions are properties that allow persons or families to exit homelessness; one-bedroom properties to deliver on housing first targets; and specific housing required for people with a disability or other particular priority needs, including older people.

In total, €325 million has been provided for all 31 local authorities for this purpose in 2025, of which Roscommon County Council has been allocated funding of €2 million. To date, Roscommon County Council has only drawn down 29%, or €585,547, of its €2m allocation for acquisitions. The provision of a capital funding allocation will help promote best practice in obtaining value for money and provide local authorities with the flexibility to respond to needs and priorities locally within the categories of need being prioritised.

Tenant in situ acquisitions continue to be supported and prioritised where other solutions cannot be found for the affected tenants. It is a matter for local authorities to assess the circumstances of each case and decide the appropriate action. The 2025 arrangements ensure a more targeted and focused acquisitions programme. My Department continues to engage with local authorities on any challenges which emerge in order to ensure that tenant in situ acquisitions can continue in 2025 where no other solutions exist for affected households.

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for that answer. I understand that the tenant in situ scheme was a temporary scheme. It was a safety net for people who were given a notification of termination of their tenancy to avoid homelessness. It is important to address the anxiety of people right around the country - not just in Roscommon or in Ballinasloe, which is also part of my constituency - about the possibility of people becoming homeless because of the anxiety around the tenant in situ scheme. As we know, we do not want the tenant in situ scheme to abrogate the responsibilities of the local authorities to build social housing. It is not a permanent solution and I understand that clearly but we are trying to deal with this in the interregnum before we deliver adequate social housing for people as a permanent solution.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Daly again for raising this very important question. In relation to Roscommon County Council's acquisitions from 2020-2024, the annual acquisitions funding provided for Roscommon for that period was €1.8 million, with €2 million funding provided for them in 2025. During the period of 2020-2024, my Department provided €8.9 million to Roscommon County Council for the delivery of 57 acquisitions. Funding of circa €590,000 provided to Roscommon to date in 2025 relates to two acquisitions and agreed refurbishment works in acquisitions delivered prior to 2025. I assure the Deputy we will continue to keep tenants in situ and, indeed, all second-hand acquisitions under the programme under review.

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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Of course, the solution to all of this is to drive the provision of housing right through the different sectors - social, affordable and private. I welcome the new planning framework which will hopefully drive and allow local authorities to redraw their county development plans and deliver that housing.

I visited two modular factories during the week. One was in Lidan in Roscommon that produces schools for the Department of education. It will also be able to produce housing. I also visited GreenFrame, a steel-framed modular housing factory between Ballinasloe and Ballyforan which is in south Roscommon and is in a rural area. These people have assured me they can scale up and produce as many houses as we need but we have to address the whole planning issue and the provision of serviced lands. If the Minister is in Galway, I invite him to visit both of those factories with me. I think he will be highly impressed.

David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I call Deputy Gould. Do not make a speech; just ask a question.

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister outlined the amount of money given to the tenant in situ scheme. Two weeks ago, I raised with the Taoiseach and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, the 33 families in Cork whose houses were sale agreed. Cork City Council was going to buy the houses but on 4 April it informed Cork City Council councillors that there was no money left to go ahead. I was told the Government was going to consider it and talk to people about it. Yesterday, I spoke to a lady, Amy, who was meant to be out of her house in February. It was supposed to be purchased in April. She got an email two weeks ago telling her and the landlord it was not going ahead and that she had to be out of the house at the end of May.

There are 44 adults and 26 children who will be homeless in the next couple of weeks if that money is not given. I am pleading with the Minister to allocate that extra funding, not only to Cork City Council but to Dublin, Limerick and Kildare. I have been contacted by local authorities right across the State. They need that money.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Daly and, indeed, I am always happy to go to Roscommon. I have asked our local authorities to use the full range of options for tenants in situ who have received a notice of termination. Acquiring the landlord's property is one option but it is not the sole option. In some cases, local authorities might use the thousands of new social allocations that they make each year to provide a new tenancy for families they are supporting. These and casual vacancies are a valuable option given the record numbers of social homes delivered over recent years. Local authorities might also use their tenancy sustainment officers to work with tenants and landlords on options that are available.

In relation to Deputy Gould and Cork city, €20 million has been provided for Cork city this year. That money has not been drawn down and only a proportion of it has. I have visited and met with the Cork city executive in Cork city and will continue to work with them.