Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

258. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of social housing units nationally; if an analysis has been undertaken to assess the BER rating of the units; the estimated cost of retrofitting the social housing stock owned by the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27223/19]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

There are circa 138,000 social housing units nationally in the ownership of local authorities.

My Department has been funding an Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme for these properties since 2013. The Programme has 2 Phases - Phase 1, which comprises the bulk of the work undertaken to date, has focused on the lower cost improvements such as cavity wall and attic insulation, while Phase 2 targets higher cost measures, such as fabric upgrades and glazing/heating upgrades. As local authorities progress further into Phase 2 of this programme, the aim will be to bring the deep retrofit of the social housing stock to the 'cost optimal' equivalent performance, or a BER of B2.

In the period, 2013 to 2018, some €128 million in exchequer funding has been provided under the Programme to improve energy efficiency and comfort levels in almost 68,000 local authority homes. In addition, energy efficiency measures have been incorporated into the 9,000 plus vacant social housing homes that have been returned to productive use under the Voids Programme since 2014.

The cost of carrying out an energy retrofit on a social housing home depends on a wide range of factors including dwelling size, year of construction, dwelling condition, and construction type. While initial indications suggest that investment in the region of €2 billion may be required to complete the retrofitting of the local authority housing stock, a detailed analysis of the stock is planned to profile both the further works required to homes that have had lower cost improvements carried out under Phase 1 and under the Voids Programme, and the works required to the remainder of the stock. Work in this regard will be carried out with local authorities in the context of the application process for funding under the Energy Efficiency Programme in 2020.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

259. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of Housing First tenancies created and sustained in 2018; the housing first targets for 2019, 2020 and 2021; and the associated costs of funding one housing first tenancy in tabular form. [27206/19]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Housing First enables people who may have been homeless and who have high levels of complex needs to obtain permanent secure accommodation, with intensive supports, to help them maintain their tenancies. The National Implementation Plan for Housing First, published in September 2018, contains targets for each local authority, with an overall national target of 663 tenancies to be delivered by 2021, including 221 in 2018/19, 222 in 2020 and 221 in 2022. The Dublin Region Housing First Service has housed 276 homeless individuals to end April 2019, of which 87% have successfully retained housing.

In line with the Housing First National Implementation Plan, Housing First is being delivered on a regional basis by the local authorities and the HSE. During 2019, contracts for the delivery of services have been put in place in the Mid-West, South-West and West Regions. The Midlands, Mid-East, North-East, North-West and South East Regions are all advancing procurement processes for the delivery of Housing First across their respective regions.

Due to the individual circumstances of each Housing First client, my Department is not in a position to specify a single representative figure for the cost of a housing first tenancy.