Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this. Under Housing for All, the Government has outlined a commitment to delivering 47,600 new-build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period from 2022 to the end of next year. Our clear focus as a Government is to increase the stock of social housing through new-build projects delivered by local authorities and approved housing bodies, AHBs. Under Housing for All, there is provision for 200 social housing acquisitions each year. In 2023, following a lifting of the temporary eviction ban and a reported uplift of sales of homes in the housing assistance payment, HAP, and rental accommodation scheme, RAS, the Government introduced, as a temporary measure at that stage, the tenant in situ acquisition scheme in order to mitigate the risk of homelessness arising for tenants being supported by HAP or RAS.

A key objective of the programme is to prevent potential homelessness where other solutions cannot be found for affected tenants. It is a matter for local authorities to assess the circumstances of each case and decide the appropriate action. All available options should be considered in order to prevent homelessness, up to and including acquisition. These options include securing the continuation of the tenancy with the landlord, securing alternative accommodation through the HAP place finder, allocating another RAS property to the tenant, or allocating a social housing tenancy, including voids, untenanted properties or properties available through an AHB. There were 1,500 acquisitions approved for 2023. The programme was extended by the Government into 2024 with a further 1,500 acquisitions, of which 1,300 were tenant in situ acquisitions. Over 1,800 homes were acquired by local authorities and AHBs in 2023. While final figures for 2024 are not yet collated, it is expected that 1,500 acquisitions will have been completed.

The programme for Government commits to continuing the tenant in situ scheme. Pending a Government decision on the 2025 programme, local authorities are asked to continue to take appropriate steps to ensure their first response is through local tenancy sustainment structures in order to support households and prevent homelessness in cases where tenants have been served a notice of termination by their landlord. A decision on the tenant in situ programme for 2025 is expected to be made by the Government shortly and it will be notified immediately thereafter to local authorities.