Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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104. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the details of the commitment to strengthen the mortgage-to-rent-scheme as referenced in the new Housing for All plan; when additional information will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46976/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme introduced in 2012 for borrowers of commercial lending institutions is targeted at those households in mortgage arrears who have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP), who agree to the voluntary surrender of their home and who have very limited options, if any, to meet their long-term housing needs themselves.  In addition, the household must be deemed eligible for social housing support.  To the end of June 2021, 1294households with unsustainable private mortgages had completed the MTR process and 1027active cases are currently being progressed under the scheme. 

It is the Government's intention to strengthen the MTR Scheme to ensure that it is helping those that need it, with delivery of an average of 1,000 housing solutions every year from 2022 onwards.  In terms of the review of the MTR scheme, I expect that the principal improvements to the scheme will be in the following areas:

- an increase in the positive equity limit to better align the limits with the range of house prices across the regions;

- updated purchase price thresholds for properties under the MTR scheme to align them with my  Department’s acquisition thresholds for social housing generally;

- additional flexibility in terms of bedroom numbers for borrowers aged 65 and over or where the borrower or one of the joint borrowers or dependents has a disability and the property has had to be adapted to their needs, or the property is specifically suitable to their need without adaptations; and

- continued oversight to ensure that properties meet private rental standards.

As set out in Housing For All, the review of MTR scheme is scheduled to be delivered in Q4 of this year and I expect to be in a position to make an announcement shortly.