Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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366. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the local authority affordable homes scheme and the first home scheme will be in place and begin accepting applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52485/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Housing for All Strategy delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system, with an ambitious target of 300,000 homes over the next decade for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing.

Measures to deliver this housing are supported by over €4 billion in funding annually, representing the highest ever level of Government investment in building social and affordable housing. 54,000 affordable home interventions will be delivered between now and 2030 to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.

Delivery of affordable housing, in accordance with the schemes set out in the Affordable Housing Act, 2021 and the funding being made available, will be underpinned by the preparation by local authorities of Housing Delivery Action Plans. Local authorities will be submitting their Plans to me, to include social and affordable housing, before the end of December 2021. This will allow each local authority to determine any affordability constraint in their area based on the Housing Need and Demand Assessment and plan provision accordingly.

Arising from the Programme for Government commitment to extend the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF), a review of SSF progress and projects to date was undertaken. Having regard to feedback from local authorities, a number of significant improvements to the funding scheme, now named the Affordable Housing Funding (AHF) scheme, have been agreed and communicated to local authorities by way of Circular in June 2021.

My Department has been accepting AHF applications since 1 September 2021. Furthermore, my Department is currently engaging with the 14 local authorities with SSF schemes approved in principle to clarify whether they now wish to continue with their SSF application as agreed or re-submit their application to be considered under the new terms of the AHF. It is intended that regulations regarding income eligibility in respect of the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme will be put in place by November.

The detailed design of the First Home scheme is currently progressing, for the scheme’s introduction in 2022. Eligibility will be informed by the Central Bank’s macro-prudential rules along with designated price ceilings established by area for the scheme. Price ceilings for eligible homes and the maximum level of support available will be confirmed in advance of the scheme’s operation.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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367. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if consideration on an exceptional basis will be given to a person (details supplied) to avail of a home loan under the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme if the person already has a mortgage through the local authority for an affordable property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52551/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan Scheme enables credit-worthy first-time buyers to access sustainable mortgage lending to purchase new or second-hand properties in a suitable price range, where they cannot obtain sufficient mortgage finance from a commercial lender.

As with the previous local authority loan offerings, the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is currently available to first-time buyers only. This is set out in the regulations governing the Scheme and ensures the effective targeting of limited resources.

The final decision on loan approval is a matter for the relevant local authority and its credit committee on a case-by-case basis. Decisions on all housing loan applications must be made in accordance with the Regulations establishing the scheme and the credit policy that underpins the scheme, in order to ensure prudence and consistency in approaches in the best interests of both borrowers and the lending local authorities.