Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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721. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the average length of time spent on the social housing list County Wexford; the plans to reduce these times; the number on the social housing list for each of the past 12 months and each month of 2021 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40619/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA).

The most recent summary, conducted in November 2020, shows that 61,880 households were assessed as qualified for and being in need of social housing support. This represents a decrease of 6,813 households or 9.9% on the last assessment in June 2019. Since 2016, the numbers have decreased from 91,600 to 61,880, a reduction of 32.4%.

Below is the link to the summary report for 2020 which includes breakdowns by each local authority, including for County Wexford, across a range of categories.

In relation to the average waiting time to be allocated a house, information of this type is not held by my Department. However, details on the length of time spent on the record of qualified households (waiting lists) can be found at tables 2.8 and A1.8 of the report.

It should be noted that the SSHA is a point in time snapshot of the demand for social housing support in each local authority area and does not necessarily reflect the dynamic nature of entry to and exit from the housing waiting lists. As such, my Department does not have information on the number on the social housing list for each of the past 12 months and for each month of 2021 to date.

2020 Report

www.gov.ie/en/publication/970ea-summary-of-social-housing-assessments-2020-key-findings/#:~:text=The%20Summary%20of%20Social%20Housing,is%20not%20currently%20being%20met

With regard to reducing waiting times, increasing the supply of social, affordable and private housing is a priority for this Government. The Programme for Government commits to the delivery of 50,000 new social homes with a focus on new build homes. 

In 2021, the Government has made available €3.3 billion for housing delivery programmes.  Subject to delays arising from COVID-19 restrictions, this funding will support the delivery, subject to the impact of COVID-19, of 12,750 social homes, including 9,500 new build homes. The Government will soon be publishing a new housing strategy, which will set out details of social housing delivery for 2021-2025. In addition to supporting households in homes allocated by local authorities, eligible households are supported in the private rental market through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).

My Department publishes a Social Housing Construction Status Report each quarter, which contains details of all social housing developments completed, under construction or at the planning and design stage in each local authority area. The most recent report, published on 28 May 2021, covers the period up to the end of Quarter 1 2021 and is available at the following link: rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-obrien-publishes-social-housing-construction-status-report-for-q1-2021/.

The data pertaining to the Construction Status Report for Quarter 2 will be collated in the coming weeks and published thereafter.

The Department also publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on social housing delivery activity on a quarterly basis including Build and Acquisitions. This data includes details on the number of social housing units provided by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies up to Quarter 1 2021.  This data is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/. 

Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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722. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of affordable homes that were built in County Wexford in 2020 and to date in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40620/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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This Government is focused on ensuring that affordable, quality housing solutions are available to everyone in Irish society and this is reflected in the Programme for Government, "Our Shared Future". The Programme commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system through the progression of State-backed affordable housing.  

This commitment was reflected in Budget 2021, which provides for an overall investment of €3.3 billion for the delivery of housing programmes, representing an increase of €641 million or 24% on 2020 and the single biggest spend on housing by any Government to fund the largest build programme in the history of the State. Importantly, €110 million of this amount will be provided to deliver a new national Affordable Purchase Shared Equity Scheme for first time buyers and a new funding model to accelerate the delivery of cost rental homes through the Approved Housing Body sector.  

€75 million is allocated for the Affordable Purchase Shared Equity Scheme, aimed at first-time buyers buying new-build homes on private land. It will enable first-time buyers to buy a new home at a price they can afford, much sooner than would otherwise have been the case. The equity stake will fill the gap between the mortgage people can get, and the price of a new home. In so doing, it will build confidence in the construction sector to increase housing supply. The proposed price caps for the shared equity scheme are reflective of the median price of a new home bought by first-time buyers, and are targeted to address the affordability gap in different areas.  It is anticipated that the Scheme will be supported and operated in partnership with the retail banks - depending on the final design, this will allow support for c.1,500 to 2,000 households to buy new homes in the first year. 

The new Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) is the first dedicated funding stream for Cost Rental housing in Ireland. CREL will assist Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in developing or acquiring new homes for Cost Rental, to accelerate implementation of this new housing sector in the immediate term. The scheme harnesses the expertise and capacity of AHBs, amply demonstrated in the provision of social housing, and builds a foundation for further AHB involvement in Cost Rental. 

Under the CREL scheme, the Housing Agency will make loans available to AHBs on very favourable terms to cover up to 30% of the development or acquisition costs of new homes for Cost Rental. The Budget allocation of €35 million is intended to assist the delivery of c. 350 new homes, in addition to the 50 new Cost Rental apartments scheduled for delivery later this year at Enniskerry Road, Stepaside. 

To date, Serviced Sites Fund (now Affordable Housing Fund) funding of almost €200 million has been approved in principle in support of 40 infrastructure projects in 14 local authority areas across 9 counties, to assist in the delivery of almost 4,200 affordable homes for purchase or for rent.  Contained within the Programme for Government was a commitment to extend the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF).  In line with this commitment, a review of SSF progress and projects to date was undertaken and, having regard to feedback from local authorities, a number of significant improvements to the funding scheme, now named the Affordable Housing Funding scheme, have been agreed and communicated to local authorities by way of Circular last month. The changes include expanding the scope of costs covered to subvent the all-in development cost of delivering the housing, which may include land purchase costs; taking applications as they are developed on a rolling basis as opposed to time constrained funding calls; and, allowing funding support to now exceed the current maximum of €50,000 per affordable dwelling on a stepped scale to €100,000, based on location and density.  

Furthermore, the Land Development Agency is tasked with working with Government Departments, Local Authorities, state agencies, and other stakeholders to assemble strategic sites in urban areas and ensure the sustainable development of social and affordable homes for rent and purchase. All these measures are designed to increase housing supply at a time when needed most.  

The Government also approved amending the provisions to Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, for inclusion in the Affordable Housing Act, 2021. This will see an increase in the current 10% social housing requirement related to all new housing developments to a mandatory 20% for social and affordable requirements.  

In addition to these measures, both the Rebuilding Ireland Homeloan and the Help to Buy Scheme are available to eligible households seeking to purchase homes. 

The funding secured combined with the strong legislative underpinning I am putting in place will soon yield dividends, in the form of affordable housing delivery, in counties where there is a clear affordability challenge, including Wexford.  The forthcoming All-of-Government housing strategy ‘Housing for All’ will further detail an extensive range of measures and ambitious targets to underpin the delivery of affordable housing over the coming years.

Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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723. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of social houses that were built in County Wexford by Wexford County Council in 2020 and to date in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40621/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on social housing delivery on a quarterly basis. Details on the number of social housing units provided by all local authorities including by Wexford County Council in 2020 and Quarter 1 of 2021, is available on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/.

My Department also publishes a Social Housing Construction Status Report each quarter, which contains details of all social housing developments completed, under construction or at the planning and design stage in each local authority area including Wexford. The report provides details of the location of each project, the status and the number of units approved and therefore, provides public representatives with ongoing data on their local authorities' social housing construction programme. The most recent Construction Status Report, published on 28 May 2021, covers the period up to the end of Quarter 1 2021 and is available at the following link: rebuildingireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Social-Housing-Construction-Status-Report-Q1-2021.pdf

I am keen that Wexford County Council adds further to their pipeline and I have assured them that funding is not an obstacle in this regard. I hope that they will have the continued support of the public representatives in their work to deliver new social housing projects.

Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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724. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of houses that have been obtained by Wexford County Council through the enhanced leasing scheme in 2020; the cost of these leases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40622/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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In 2018, the Enhanced Long Term Social Housing Leasing Scheme was introduced in order to target newly built, or yet to be built, houses and apartments that could provide social housing through long term leasing at a reasonable scale. The Enhanced Leasing Scheme is one option available to supplement delivery under local authority and approved housing body build and acquisition programmes. 

To date, no applications for the Enhanced Leasing Scheme have been received from Wexford County Council. 

The future approach to long term leasing is currently under review in the context of the Government’s new Housing Plan ‘Housing for All’ which will be published in the coming weeks.