Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming to answer my question. I know he is not directly involved in the Department so I thank him for taking it on behalf of the Department.

My question relates to the tenant in situ scheme and the continuation of this worthwhile programme. It has worked in many cases; however, I sat in two houses during the week in which people had received notification that they had to go because the landlord was selling the property. I have also sat in houses in which the landlord was successful, the local authority bought it and people had stability in terms of their tenure and home conditions. Many local authorities are waiting to hear on the sign-off of the scheme, waiting to hear whether the scheme is continuing and waiting for funding. Many apartments are sale agreed but the money has not been approved or the local authority has not received notification of the amount of money it will get. I am looking for an update on it.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the fact the Government is committed to continuing the tenant in situ programme but a number of people have to be out of their home in mid-March. At the moment, the local authority is telling them it does not know if it can purchase it because it does not have the funding. If the Minister of State can bring back one key message, it is that the Department needs to decide as quickly as possible how much money it will give to each local authority. There is a huge fear factor out there. I spoke to one lady who has been 26 years in the same house. They have been given the notice and they are so upset. They are in their 60s. They are saying they cannot get a mortgage and asking where they will find somewhere to rent. It is an important issue. If the Minister of State could get that message back, I would appreciate it.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I will certainly feed that back to the Department of housing. It is important we have a decision on this promptly so there is clarity for local authorities. It is the intention of the Minister, Deputy Browne, to ensure there is a Government decision on it. There is a commitment in the new programme for Government to continue the scheme. There were many acquisitions in 2023 and 2024. We now need to see the detail of the programme for 2025. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has engaged extensively with local authorities on the current position through individual engagements and also in plenary discussions with the CCMA housing committee and executive. A decision on the tenant in situ programme for this year is expected to be made by the Government shortly. It is important that this happens. I will relay to the Department all the Senator's feedback on it and her call for certainty as quickly as possible.