Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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351. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the Rebuilding Ireland commitment to introduce an AHB innovation fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48096/19]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness included the commitment to explore a range of structural, funding and policy supports that could help to increase delivery by AHBs. 

In 2016, my Department established an Innovation Fund to support Tier 3 AHBs (i.e. those larger organisations with 300+ homes in their stock) in their development of innovative financial models that would assist in improving the capacity of the sector.

Six AHBs applied to this Fund and four proposals were deemed eligible. The total amount of funding approved for these four proposals was €104,043.50, and details of these approvals were announced in May 2017.

Details of the approved proposals are as follows: 

-  The Irish Council for Social Housing's proposal for the establishment of a sector-led financial vehicle to allow AHBs to expand and to facilitate the delivery of additional housing units.

- Clúid’s proposal to develop a set of procedures, guidelines and templates for mergers and acquisitions.

- Oaklee’s proposal to engage with financial advisors to secure off-balance sheet funding, with a view to the establishment of a Special Purpose Vehicle. 

- Túath’s proposal related to engaging with external experts to undertake research on two schemes relating to affordable rental. 

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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352. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the Rebuilding Ireland commitment to establish a dedicated one-stop-shop within the Housing Agency to support AHBs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48097/19]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Approved Housing Body (AHB) Services Unit was established in 2017 in accordance with Action 2.14 of Rebuilding Ireland.

This unit currently has four staff and provides assistance to my Department, AHBs and Local Authorities to support AHB led delivery.

One of the main areas of operation that has been incorporated into the AHB Services Unit is the assessment of AHB Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF)funding applications and reporting recommendations to my Department. As part of this service, staff in the Unit liaise closely with AHBs and my Department in relation to particular features or issues that arise with individual applications and also engage in pre-application discussions with AHBs on matters such as advice on the assessment process or where certain innovations are being considered and how these might be viewed.

The Unit also prepares Payment & Availability/CALF contract documentation on behalf of local authorities where requested to do so. This helps to streamline the process of project funding drawdown, mainly for the acquisition by AHBs of properties acquired by the Agency using the €70m acquisition fund and for properties leased by AHBs from NAMA’s special purpose vehicle. This service has been expanding to other projects to further enhance the coordination between local authorities and AHBs in this area.

An AHB forum with representatives from the AHBs, local authorities and my Department has been established and currently meets on a quarterly basis to review strategic issues of concern to the stakeholders for the delivery of housing and improving coordination between AHBs and local authorities.