Written answers

Tuesday, 24 May 2022

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Departmental Schemes

Photo of Seán CroweSeán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

228. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of properties that have been approved for upgrades, by each local authority, under the energy efficiency retrofit programme in 2021 and 2022, in tabular form; and the number of upgrade works that have been completed, by each local authority in 2021, in tabular form. [26232/22]

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

Since 2013, Exchequer funding has been provided through my Department's Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) to support local authorities with the retrofit of local authority owned homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Since the programme commenced in 2013 over 75,000 homes have been retrofitted with a total exchequer spend of €184 million under the scheme.

In response to the Programme for Government commitment, my Department launched a newly revised ten year Energy Efficiency Programme in 2021 for local authority owned housing. This new programme set a BER performance requirement of “B2” or cost optimal level. The upscaling of the works included in the programme sees a substantial overall increase in funding being made available for insulation, windows and doors and heating upgrades, specifically the installation of a Heat Pump and associated works. The installation of gas/oil boilers are no longer supported under the energy efficiency programme funded by my Department.

An annualised breakdown of the funding provided and the number of properties upgraded under the Energy Efficiency Retrofit programme for the years 2013-2021 is available on my Department's website at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/publication/668c1-energy-efficiency-retrofitting-programme-expenditure-output/.

My Department announced earlier this year that funding will be provided for the upgrade of approximately 2,400 social homes this year. The table below outlines the allocation at local authority level.

LA 2022 EERP Target Allocation
Carlow 48
Cavan 30
Clare 54
Cork City 246
Cork County 188
DCC 304
DLR 68
Donegal 102
Fingal 81
Galway City 36
Galway County 71
Kerry  61
Kildare 69
Kilkenny 43
Laois 39
Leitrim 16
Limerick 75
Longford 38
Louth 105
Mayo 26
Meath 39
Monaghan 54
Offaly 26
Roscommon 52
SDCC 146
Sligo 35
Tipperary 100
Waterford 76
Westmeath 33
Wexford 68
Wicklow 71
Total 2,400

Upgrade works under the 2022 programme are underway but it will be later this year before significant recoupment claims are lodged with my Department. Full details in relation to the 2022 EERP will be available early in 2023.

Photo of Eoin Ó BroinEoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

229. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will publish the expression of interest document that his Department and the Housing Agency are circulating to developers related to the croí cónaithe cities scheme. [26270/22]

Photo of Eoin Ó BroinEoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

230. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide a list of all the developers, building contractors, professional organisations and others that his Department and the Housing Agency consulted in developing the croí cónaithe cities scheme. [26271/22]

Photo of Eoin Ó BroinEoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

231. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if a standard developer's margin will be permitted in the market price charged for apartments benefiting from the croí cónaithe cities scheme.. [26272/22]

Photo of Eoin Ó BroinEoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

232. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if build to rent apartments with the build to rent design standards will not be eligible to apply for funding via the croí cónaithe cities scheme.. [26273/22]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 229 to 232, inclusive, together.

Addressing the current housing shortage requires short, medium and long-term action to stimulate housing supply. Housing for All set out four pathways to achieve its vision of a sustainable housing system.  Under Pathway 3, the Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme will help to kick-start urban apartment developments that are currently not being developed to meet strong demand.  

The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme is focused on delivering additional apartment supply in our cities for those who wish to own rather than rent.  Every apartment within a proposed development must be sold to an eligible purchaser, who will be an individual or household intending to owner-occupy, in accordance with the terms of the scheme. 

As the scheme is specifically for supply of build to sell apartments, developments which are specifically build to rent will not be eligible. 

In developing the scheme, the Housing Agency held a stakeholder engagement workshop on December 10th last to gain feedback on the proposed scheme with representatives from State Agencies, Local Authorities and representative bodies from the industry. Those organisations were-

Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage
Housing Agency
Banking and Payments Federation Ireland
Home Building Finance Ireland
Institute Of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers
Irish Home Builders Association
Ireland Strategic Investment Fund
Land Developement Agency
National Developement Finance Agency
Property Industry Ireland
Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland
Dublin City Council
Society Of Chartered Surveyors Ireland
Irish Institutional Property
The appropriate margin for each apartment development considered under the scheme as part of the all-in development cost will be scrutinised and considered carefully during the due diligence process.  Developers/risk margins vary by type, location, density and overall scale of schemes and buyer appetite to purchase apartments. To access finance to deliver schemes, funders require that the developer can demonstrate a risk appropriate margin. Setting an absolute cap and setting it at a low rate will prevent developments from accessing finance, or add to the cost of finance, widening the viability gap or preventing schemes being built. The due diligence process and competitive nature of the bid will ensure that unduly high margins will be identified and will not be proceeded with.

The scheme will be managed by the Housing Agency on behalf of my Department. Over the next six weeks the Housing Agency will be accepting Expressions of Interest from developers for eligible schemes.

The Expressions of Interest Document is available on the Housing Agency's website at the following link Expression of Interest (EOI) Call Croí Cónaithe Cities_.pdf (housingagency.ie).

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.