Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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49. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the supports he is exploring for old age renters in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33248/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Firstly, it is settled Government policy to support older people to live in their own homes and communities with dignity and independence for as long as possible, as this has the best outcomes both for the individual and for society as a whole.

My Department, in conjunction with the Department of Health, is developing policy options for supported housing/housing with care in accordance with the principles of the joint policy statement, "Housing Options for Our Ageing Population". This policy statement was published by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and the Department of Health in 2019. The policy statement is available on my Department's website at:

www.housing.gov.ie/housing/special-housing-needs/older-people/housing-options-our-ageing-population-policy-statement.

It is intended that the Implementation Group will provide its final report addressing each of the 40 actions, by the end of 2021.

The Government is committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing solutions are available to everyone in Irish society and supporting renters is a key component of that. The Affordable Housing Bill 2020 will ensure that affordability is put at the heart of the housing system and will underpin the introduction of a new national Cost Rental scheme. This year will also see the first ever cost rental units, more than 400 units, built and occupied in the State. Cost rental is targeted at moderate income households where the rent charged only covers the cost of provision of homes. The Land Development Agency will be put on a statutory footing and given capital to ramp up cost rental provision to the scale needed.  

In addition to social housing rental accommodation provided specifically by local authorities for older people, Approved Housing Bodies who provide affordable rented housing for people who cannot afford to pay private sector rents or buy their own homes often focus on specific accommodation for particular groups, such as older people.

The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. If a household has been deemed eligible for social housing support, it is a matter for the local authority to examine the suite of social housing supports available, including the HAP scheme, to determine the most appropriate form of social housing support for that household in the administrative area of that local authority.  

Under the HAP scheme, tenants source their own accommodation in the private rented market. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned.

The Programme for Government - 'Our Shared Future', commits to improving the security of tenure for tenants, through legislating for tenancies of indefinite duration, increasing Residential Tenancies Board enforcement and examining incentives for long-term leasing.

Proposals for further amendments to the Residential Tenancies Acts are currently being developed, for inclusion in the General Scheme of the Housing and Residential Tenancies Bill which is expected to be submitted in the coming months for Government approval to proceed to legal drafting. It is expected that the Bill will be enacted by the end of 2021. Long-term letting rights for tenants are being considered in this context.