Written answers

Tuesday, 14 December 2021

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Approved Housing Bodies

Photo of Niall CollinsNiall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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330. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the process to establish an approved housing body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61913/21]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Following on from the introduction of the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019, the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) was formally established on the 1st of February 2021. The Regulator will have responsibility for, inter alia, establishing and maintaining a register of AHBs; preparing standards by which AHBs will be monitored and assessed; encouraging and facilitating the better governance, administration and management, including corporate governance and financial management, of AHBs. The Regulator will also have powers to carry out investigations and cancel the registration of AHBs.

From early 2022 AHBRA will accept applications to register from new organisations that meet the eligibility criteria. In addition to the necessary eligibility criteria, organisations must provide certain information as part of the application for registration. The relevant information is available from the AHBRA website at the following link: www.ahbregulator.ie/registration/.

AHBRA have advised my Department that they will engage with any organisation to assist with the registration process, and can be contacted at info@ahbregulator.ie.

Photo of Niall CollinsNiall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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331. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the details of all approved housing bodies in the State; the number of social, affordable and other type of housing units analysed by local authority area under their ownership and or management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61914/21]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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There are currently 450 organisations listed on my Department's Register of Housing Bodies with Approved Status. Further information is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/1172c-register-of-housing-bodies-with-approved-status-under-section-6-of-the-housing-miscellaneous-provisions-act-1992/

The table below provides information on of the number of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) signed up to the Voluntary Regulatory Code, which are active in each local authority, along with the number of units either owned, managed or leased. This information is sourced from the most recent Sectoral Analysis Report produced by the Housing Agency's Regulation Office www.housingagency.ie/sites/default/files/2021-07/Regulation%20Annual%20Report%202020%20FINAL.pdf which provides a comprehensive overview of the AHB sector.

Local Authority No. of AHBs operating in Local Authority* No. of Units**
Dublin City 48 8756
Limerick City & County 46 1787
Cork County 40 2414
Dun Laoghaire – Rathdown 32 1767
Kilkenny 31 1044
Cork City 30 1874
Kildare 30 2021
Fingal 30 2372
Tipperary 29 1227
Meath 27 1177
South Dublin 26 2834
Mayo 24 792
Wicklow 24 746
Clare 22 655
Donegal 19 1084
Waterford City & County 19 1301
Wexford 19 954
Kerry 18 921
Galway City 17 865
Galway County 17 675
Offaly 17 557
Louth 17 1680
Laois 17 890
Westmeath 16 261
Sligo 14 474
Monaghan 12 366
Carlow 12 822
Cavan 11 264
Longford 10 370
Roscommon 8 207
Leitrim 7 72
Total 41229

* Based on AHBs signed up to the Voluntary Code

** Based on December 2019 data

My Department also publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on social housing delivery for each local authority on a quarterly basis. These statistics, which include programmes supported by AHB delivery, are available to the end of Quarter 3 and are published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/

In addition to the statistical overview of activity in each local authority, a detailed Social Housing Construction Status Report is published each quarter which provides scheme level detail on new build activity, including those delivered by AHBs. The most recent publication covers the period up to the end of Quarter 3 2021 and is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/feea9-social-housing-construction-projects-status-report-q3-2021/.

Following on from the introduction of the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019, the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) was formally established on 1 February 2021. The Regulator will have responsibility for, inter alia, establishing and maintaining a register of AHBs; preparing standards by which AHBs will be monitored and assessed; encouraging and facilitating the better governance, administration and management, including corporate governance and financial management, of AHBs. The Regulator will have powers to carry out investigations and cancel the registration of AHBs.

The functions of the Regulator will also include collecting such information concerning AHBs as the Regulator considers necessary and appropriate for the purposes of the performance of the Regulator’s functions, and publishing such information (including statistical information) concerning AHBs as the Regulator considers appropriate.

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