Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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308. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the dates on which the various changes in income eligibility, in thresholds and ceilings and the commencement of applications for the various affordable schemes referenced in the Housing For All document are due to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43211/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Affordable Housing Act 2021 was signed into law by the President on 21 July 2021. On 18 August, I signed the Affordable Housing Act 2021 (Commencement) (Parts 1 and 3) Order 2021, which commenced Parts 1 and 3 of the Act from 19 August. This brought into operation the Cost Rental element of the Act. The text of the Order is available at:

www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2021/si/424/made/en/print.

On 19 August 2021 I made the Affordable Housing Act 2021 (Cost Rental Designation) Regulations 2021, which came into effect that day.  These Regulations govern the process by which the owners of dwellings may obtain the designation of their properties as Cost Rental dwellings. The text of the Regulations is available online at:

www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2021/si/425/made/en/print.

On 2 September 2021 I signed the Affordable Housing Act 2021 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2021, which commenced Part 2 (other than subsections (2)(c), (6), and (7) of section 6) and Parts 4, 6, 7, and 8 of the Act from 3 September.  The text of the Order is available online at:

www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2021/si/450/made/en/print.

With the relevant elements of the Act relating to the local authority affordable purchase scheme (Part 2) and Cost Rental (part 3), it is my intention to make further Regulations governing the eligibility and price ceilings that will be applicable to these schemes by November. 

Part 4 of the Act provides the basis for the establishment of the 'First Home' (shared equity) scheme and which is to be operated and administered by a newly established special purpose vehicle (SPV). It also provides that I, as Minister, may agree the terms by which the equity support may be provided covering, inter alia, areas such as purchaser eligibility and financial means, the homes that may be considered eligible under the scheme, and the amount of funding that can be provided.

Work on the detailed design and operation of the scheme is advancing and the Government's recently published Housing For All Plan confirms the intention to introduce the First Home Scheme in Q1 2022.