Written answers

Tuesday, 14 June 2022

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Housing Schemes

Photo of Patricia RyanPatricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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513. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide details on the First Home affordable purchase shared equity scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29935/22]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Part 4 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021 provides for the establishment of the ‘First Home’ affordable purchase shared equity scheme to support purchases in the private market. The Scheme aims to support c. 8,000 households in acquiring new homes in the private market in the years 2022 to 2026.

First Home will help applicants to afford new homes in the private market through the use of an equity share model, similar to that employed in the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme. The Scheme will primarily support First Time Buyers in the purchase of new homes within designated regional price ceilings, set with reference to the median prices for new homes purchased by first-time buyers in the area.

Subject to the necessary final approvals process of all founders to the scheme, which will see the State operate the scheme in a strategic partnership with participating banks, it is anticipated that First Home will become operational from July 2022. Full information, including full eligibility criteria, and area price ceilings, will be available on the Scheme’s website upon the Scheme’s launch.

Photo of Patricia RyanPatricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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515. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding allocated for housing adaptation grants to Kildare County Council for 2020, 2021 and 2022; the amount of funding drawn down; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29944/22]

Photo of Patricia RyanPatricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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516. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding allocated for housing adaptation grants to Laois County Council for 2020, 2021 and 2022; the amount of funding drawn down; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29945/22]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People Grant, each of which are 80% funded by my Department, with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. Details of the allocations and drawdowns for all local authorities, including Laois County Council, up to 2021, are available on my Department's website at the following link:

www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/social-and-affordble/other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics.

Funding of €81.25 million is available nationally in 2022 for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme. The 2022 funding allocation for all local authorities is also available on my Department’s website at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/press-release/32a48-improved-homes-for-older-people-and-those-with-a-disability-as-ministers-obrien-and-burke-announce-over-80m-in-funding/.

Laois County Council have drawn down a total of €316,672 in grant funding from my Department up to 31 May 2022.

Photo of Patricia RyanPatricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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517. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of applications that were received for a social housing adaptation grant for older people and people with a disability to Kildare County Council for 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022; the number of these grants that have been granted; the number that were refused; the number that are pending a decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29946/22]

Photo of Peter BurkePeter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides funding to local authorities under the Disabled Persons Grants scheme to carry out works on local authority owned social housing stock to address the needs of older people, people with a disability or relieve overcrowding. The detailed administration of this scheme including assessment, approval and prioritisation of applications is the responsibility of local authorities.

My Department's approach every year is to issue a single full year allocation to each local authority, so they can plan, prioritise and implement the programme to carry out the varying works necessary to meet the needs of their tenants. The programme is 90% funded by the Department with a 10% contribution from the Local Authority.

The allocation and drawdown of funding for each local authority for the period 2011-2021 for the Disabled Persons Grant, which incorporates Improvement Works in Lieu, is available at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/publication/061cd-disabled-persons-grant-and-improved-works-in-lieu-schemes-allocation-and-drawdown/?referrer=http://www.gov.ie/en/publication/c472d-disabled-persons-grant-and-improved-works-in-lieu-schemes-allocation-and-drawdown-2011-2020/.

Exchequer funding to the value of €23.6 million has been allocated for the 2022 schemes. Kildare County Council's allocation this year under this programme is €966,159.

The local authority has responsibility for the administration of the Disabled Persons Grant scheme. My Department retains data on applications which are Exchequer funded but does not gather information in relation to the number of applications made to local authorities or the numbers subsequently granted, refused or pending a decision. This information should be available from the relevant Local Authority.

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

Photo of Patricia RyanPatricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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518. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of applications that were received for a private housing adaptation grant for older people and people with a disability to Kildare County Council for 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022; the number of these grants that have been granted; the number that were refused; the number that are pending a decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29947/22]

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