Written answers

Thursday, 6 April 2017

Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Repair and Leasing Scheme

Photo of Peter BurkePeter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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17. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the way in which the repair and lease scheme will be rolled out across the country; when local authorities will be informed and authorised on implementing the scheme; his plans to expedite this process due to huge demand in counties such as Longford and Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16813/17]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) has been developed, under Pillar 5 of Rebuilding Ireland, to assist private property owners and local authorities or Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to harness the accommodation potential that exists in certain vacant properties across Ireland. The scheme is targeted at owners of vacant properties who cannot afford or access the funding needed to bring their properties up to the required standard for rental property.  Following on from the success of the initial Repair and Leasing pilot in Waterford and Carlow local authorities, the pilot scheme was expanded on a national basis from 23 February 2017.

In the period since the launch of the scheme, my Department has been engaging bilaterally with local authorities and AHBs and has convened the first of two planned workshops for local authority and AHB staff. My colleague, Minister of State English also recently met with the 4 Dublin Local Authorities and interested AHBs on my behalf, to create momentum behind the scheme in Dublin and to encourage early co-operation across all stakeholders. A Circular setting out the framework for delivery of the scheme issued to all local authorities on 28 March 2017 and a detailed guidance document, template legal agreements and other resources are now available to local authorities and AHBs.

Local authorities have been invited to apply for delegated sanction from my Department to enter into leasing arrangements for a defined number of units under the scheme. The RLS has been designed to draw on the expertise and experience gained by AHBs on social housing acquisitions and leasing in recent years and it is open to local authorities to work in collaboration with AHBs in their areas to maximise the potential impact of the scheme. However, local authorities will retain overall responsibility for the implementation of the scheme in their area and for ensuring that housing units brought into use under the scheme are required and fulfil social housing demand in their areas.

In recognition of both the critical demand for additional units and the potential the RLS scheme has to offer, I have assigned additional funding to the scheme in 2017, bringing the total amount of investment available this year to €32m, which will facilitate up to 800 vacant properties being brought back into use as new homes for families on local authority waiting lists. 

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