Written answers

Wednesday, 28 November 2018

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Repair and Leasing Scheme

Photo of John CurranJohn Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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273. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the progress made in securing properties under the repair and leasing scheme in each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49637/18]

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) was initially piloted in Carlow and Waterford and the pilot has been rolled out nationally since 23 February 2017. The scheme is one of a suite of measures available to local authorities to bring vacant properties back into use. Since the national roll out, my Department has been working intensively with local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to develop and implement the scheme. There have been a number of national and local press advertising initiatives, as well as targeted online promotion, in an effort to ensure that property owners who can benefit from the scheme are aware of the benefits.

It was clear from end 2017 output, that RLS has not yet delivered the level of new social housing homes envisaged. The operation of the scheme was reviewed, as part of the review of Rebuilding Ireland, and it was concluded that the scheme has significant potential but there are areas where it can be improved to make it more attractive and effective. Accordingly, from 1 February 2018, a number of key changes were being made to the scheme. These include:

- a reduction in the minimum lease term required from 10 to 5 years;

- increasing the proportion of market rent available to property owners where they take on more responsibilities under the tenancy, meaning that up to 92% of market rent will be available; and

- provision of additional funding for property owners, over and above the current €40,000 limit, where the dwelling is a bedsit type dwelling being brought into compliance with the Standards for Rented Houses Regulations and made available for social housing.

Data up to end Q2 2018 has shown an increase in the number of applications although given the lead in time of at least 6 months for most applications, the real impact of the recent changes to the scheme will not become apparent until later in the year. Local authorities have indicated that the changes have been well received by property owners.

A detailed breakdown of the RLS activity in 2018, on a local authority basis, up to Q2 2018 is set out in the table below:

Table: RLS Q1 and Q2 2018

LA No. of applications receivedNumber of Agreements to Lease Signed Number of Properties Operational
Carlow212
Cavan1900
Clare100
Cork City200
Cork County2000
DLR1700
Donegal800
Dublin City510
Fingal340
Galway City000
Galway County400
Kerry300
Kildare010
Kilkenny310
Laois200
Leitrim400
Limerick2265
Longford100
Louth300
Mayo970
Meath011
Monaghan700
Offaly700
Roscommon1020
Sligo800
SDCC000
Tipperary700
Waterford4335
Westmeath110
Wexford4529
Wicklow000
2176022

Data for end Q3 2018 is currently being collated and will be available shortly.

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