Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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98. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will include persons who are divorced or legally separated as eligible applicants for the proposed affordable purchase shared equity scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4746/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government, ‘Our Shared Future’, commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system, and to progress a state-backed affordable home purchase scheme to promote home ownership. To begin delivering on these commitments, Budget 2021 allocated €75 million for an affordable housing shared equity scheme.

On the 20^thof January last I published the General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020. This provides the legislative basis for a number of new affordable housing measures, including the aforementioned Affordable Purchase Shared Equity Scheme. The Government approved the priority drafting of the Bill and my Department is working to advance this legislation.

I can confirm that the scheme will be targeted at first time buyers of new build homes. The more detailed design aspects of the scheme, including eligibility criteria, is currently ongoing, and will be informed by our continued engagement with all relevant stakeholders. In finalising any eligibility criteria, I have confirmed my intention to give close consideration to household status and situations of relationship breakdown.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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99. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the 35 social housing projects that have used the one stage approval process; the location of these projects; the number of units in each project; and the cost of each project, in tabular form. [4800/21]

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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100. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of social housing projects that have accessed the one stage approval process since the cap was increased to €6 million that would otherwise have accessed that process; and the number of units of accommodation in these projects. [4801/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 100 together.

There are 37 social housing projects that are on site or completed, having used the single stage process, not 35 as stated in the reply to Question number 233 of 20 January 2021. The information sought on these projects is set out below; costs shown are the 'all-in' costs sanctioned by my Department to deliver the project.

Since the increase in the limit for such projects from €2m to €6m, one additional scheme to provide 11 new homes in Fingal has been included in the single stage process that would have otherwise used the 4-stage process.