Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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4. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will reverse the decision to cut funding for social housing acquisitions, including housing first and the tenant in situ schemes. [24905/25]

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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I will let Thomas catch his breath. He has run across the city, fair play to him. I am surprised the Corkman did not get lost.

In light of the very real concern among local authorities and councillors, TDs and Senators, from both Government and Opposition benches, about the impact of the Government's cuts to social housing acquisition funding, including tenant in situ and housing first, will the Minister give a commitment to revisit that decision and reverse the cut to ensure that local authorities have the funds to purchase homes to prevent people from becoming homeless and to allow people to get out of emergency accommodation more speedily?

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Ó Broin for raising this important question about the tenant in situ scheme and housing first.

Tenant in situ acquisitions have been an important measure in the prevention of homelessness since their introduction in 2023. The Government has therefore agreed to continue such acquisitions in 2025 and has increased the funding available for second-hand social acquisitions from the €60 million allocated under Housing for All to €325 million through the allocation of an additional €265 million a couple of months ago. In budget 2025, €60 million was allocated. The Minister, Deputy Chambers, significantly increased this funding only a couple of months ago by an additional €265 million. To date, local authorities have drawn down only 20%, or €64.13 million, of the €325 million which has been allocated for acquisitions in 2025. No local authority has drawn down all its funding or even come close to it.

My Department engaged with local authorities on the operational details for the second-hand acquisitions programme, and a circular setting out the arrangements issued to them on 31 March 2025, with individual allocations for the local authorities being notified to them on 1 April 2025.

Under revised arrangements for second-hand acquisitions in 2025, local authorities received a capital funding allocation for the acquisition of homes for the priority categories of tenant in situ properties that allow persons or families to exit homelessness; one-bedroom properties to deliver on housing first targets; specific housing required for people with a disability or the elderly; and vacant properties under the buy and renew scheme.

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 arrangements for 2025 will 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 the affected households.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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With the greatest of respect to the Minister, what utter rubbish. When he notified local authorities of their allocations at the end of March, there was a sharp intake of breath, particularly in the large urban local authorities that have significant levels of homelessness. Not only was the capital allocation a substantial cut on what had been spent on acquisitions last year, but when the local authorities sift through the paused and delayed applications from 2024, closed or not closed, they are telling their elected members they have no money left. In Cork city, for example, communication to TDs and councillors has said that when they deal with the overhang for 2024, there is not a cent left for new acquisitions. Dublin city is the same. Fingal is in the same situation, as well as a number of other local authorities. They are telling the Minister and his fellow party members and our party members that they will not have funding for new acquisitions for 2025. He needs to listen to them, engage and reopen the funding. The consequence will be that in Cork city, Dublin city and elsewhere, more people will become homeless and more people will spend more time in emergency accommodation. That is what front-line local authority homeless service managers are telling us and the Government's backbenchers, councillors and Senators. The Minister needs to listen to them and reopen these funding arrangements to ensure that homelessness does not continue to increase.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for his question. We have provided significant money for second-hand acquisitions for this year. The second-hand acquisition programme was always introduced as a temporary, short-term measure to deal with the ending of the eviction ban. Sinn Féin's own housing policy proposes a very sharp reduction in tenant in situ acquisitions to 800, far below what we have to address this situation. The Deputy needs to be honest and look at Sinn Féin's own housing policy. He wants to reduce the number of acquisitions to 800 over the coming years. Even Sinn Féin's proposal for this year would not deal with the hangover.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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Of course it would.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Then there is, as Sinn Féin proposes, the full-year reset the Deputy seems to be looking for for this year. The reality is that one engages in acquisitions, there is a significant overhang from last year, that will be worked out through this year, additional funding will be provided for next year and we will keep the matter under review.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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It is deeply disappointing that not only did the Minister fail to address the question but he also misrepresented Sinn Féin's policy. Let me set the record straight. In our alternative housing plan, we have made provision for 6,500 acquisitions over five years, 2,000 this year, reducing by 200 each year until 2029. That is because we make the assumption that demand for the scheme over five years will reduce. The Minister is providing no extra funding for acquisitions in the largest local authorities in this year. What he has allocated will deal just with last year's applications, and some of those applications will not now be processed because the Minister has changed the rules for tenant in situ and people who otherwise would have been prevented from becoming homeless will lose access to the scheme.

My question is very simple. When Cork City Council says it has no money now for acquisitions applied for in 2025, will the Minister meet with the council, the councillors and the executive and discuss expanding the budget? When Dublin City Council finally works through its overhang from last year and confirms, just like Cork city has done, that there will be no money for new housing first acquisitions or tenant in situ acquisitions this year, will the Minister meet the councillors and the management and reopen the funding? If he does not, more people will become homeless. Misrepresenting Sinn Féin's policy is not a smart move when families' well-being is at risk because the Minister cut funding and they will become homeless as a consequence.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I have not misrepresented Sinn Féin's policy. Its policy is very clear. The policy I read referred to 1,800 houses reduced by 200 each year, down to 800, so Sinn Féin's policy is to significantly slash second-hand acquisitions. It is in black and white in its own policy.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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Two thousand acquisitions this year, 1,800 next year-----

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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With respect, Deputy, I did not interrupt you. This is in Sinn Féin's own policy. We have looked at the scheme-----

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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Well, you should read it again because you are misrepresenting it, Minister - deliberately.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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You want to slash tenant in situ acquisitions down to 800. That is Sinn Féin's policy. You are now saying it is down to 1,000.

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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What about the people of Cork?

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Either way, it is a significant reduction.

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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People will be homeless-----

David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Minister, without interruption.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy, do not try to-----

John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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There is no point in shouting down the Minister.

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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He is the Minister for housing; he will not do a jot.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Stop shouting, Deputy.

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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I have 33 families in Cork.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy, stop shouting.

David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Allow the Minister to answer, Deputy.

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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Thirty-three families will be homeless in the next few weeks and you will not do anything about it.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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You will not shout people down.

David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Deputy, allow the Minister to answer.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Do not try to shout me down, all right, Deputy?

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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Tell that to the families becoming homeless.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Show a little respect.

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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They want me up here shouting because you will not do your job.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I know you do not like my answer, but shouting me down will not stop me giving it, okay, Deputy? The reality is that Sinn Féin's housing policy proposes to significantly reduce second-hand acquisitions. I suggest Deputy Gould read it.

As to what we have done, in some local authorities, unfortunately, significant amounts of money have been used for refurbishment, €5 million in the case of one local authority. That was never the purpose of this scheme. These are houses that are already being rented out; they should not need huge amounts of money on refurbishment. I have met with the Cork City Council executive, I have been down in Cork and we have continued to engage with all the local authorities to address the situation. It is perfectly normal that local authorities continue to engage with various people who they felt needed tenant in situ usage in advance of the allocation for this year. Those acquisitions will be purchased this year for those people. Cork has significant money, as do all the local authorities. However, what Sinn Féin is doing again here - and it is fundamentally dishonest and is a trick the party has pulled before - is comparing the result at the end of one match to where we are halfway through another match.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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We are simply repeating what council officials are telling us. Is the Minister saying Cork County Council officials are lying?

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is comparing outturn from previous years to the funding we provided in May this year. The year is not over.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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They say the council no money for new acquisitions this year. Is the Minister saying that is not true?

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Stop comparing the result at the end of one match to the score halfway through another.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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That is a fundamentally dishonest way of presenting it-----

David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Members----

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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-----and misrepresents council officials as well as us.

David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Ó Broin.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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It is bad form but no surprise, given that the Minister is trying to blame councils.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I am not blaming the councils.

David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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We are taking time off the next Members coming along. We are now to two or three minutes over. If someone asks a question, let us get the answer without shouting people down. I call Deputy Gould.