Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

19. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the criteria set out in the Housing for All plan for the development of affordable housing will result in affordable houses being delivered in County Clare. [54771/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Housing for All Strategy delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to put affordability at the heart of the housing system. Over €4 billion in funding is provided annually, representing the highest ever level of Government investment in building social and affordable housing.  

54,000 affordable homes interventions will be delivered nationally between now and 2030 to be facilitated through a range of measures 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 Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme established in Part 2 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021 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, including Clare County Council, to determine any affordability constraint in their area based on the Housing Need and Demand Assessment and plan the provision of affordable homes accordingly. 

Additionally, Part 4 of the Affordable Housing Act provides for the First Home Affordable Purchase Shared Equity scheme, which will commence in 2022 and will be available in all counties. 

In addition the Help to Buy Scheme and the Local Authority Home loan scheme remain available nationally and make housing more affordable to purchasers. 

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

20. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to provide a social housing passport in order that persons can move for work, family reasons and so on, to different local authority areas without losing any time on the housing list. [54640/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Programme for Government provides for a package of social housing reforms, including the introduction of a social housing passport to allow households move from one local authority waiting list to another.   

There is already a degree of flexibility with regard to waiting lists. The four Dublin local authorities already co-operate in arrangements that enable social housing applicants to apply for housing in one or two of the other Dublin authorities simultaneously.  The household can therefore be eligible to receive offers of a social housing dwelling from any of the three authorities. Similar arrangements apply in the two Cork and two Galway local authorities. 

It is also already possible for households to move and relocate between housing authority areas under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme where there is agreement between the two housing authorities concerned and where the household income is within the appropriate income limits. 

The issue of providing for wider mobility is being examined and further consultation with the local authority sector will be carried out. To date local authorities have indicated that the demand for such a scheme is likely to be low and that the operation of such a scheme would present significant administrative issues for the sector.

I will look at proposals in relation to such wider movement in due course along with the other reform package measures.