Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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245. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of cost-rental schemes that have been approved in each of the months April to August 2022; the number of units involved; the locations of each these schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46413/22]

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. 18,000 Cost Rental homes will be delivered between now and 2030, to be facilitated by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), Local Authorities and the Land Development Agency (LDA).

AHBs will be supported by Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) funding and Local Authorities will be able to avail of funding for Cost Rental delivery through the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF). The LDA will also deliver Cost Rental on its own portfolio of sites or through acquisitions under Project Tosaigh.

To date, approval in principle has been confirmed for approximately 900 Cost Rental homes to be delivered by AHBs under the CREL scheme in the period to 2023. The necessary financial and commercial arrangements in relation to a number of these projects are being completed by the AHBs concerned. Full details of the projects, including specific locations, housing typologies and cost-covering rents cannot be made public until these arrangements are concluded.

In addition to homes funded through the CREL scheme, additional Cost Rental properties are being developed by Local Authorities through the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF). The central Exchequer funding through the AHF will help to facilitate a Local Authority-led financing structure for Cost Rental, which will provide important opportunities for Local Authorities to directly deliver Cost Rental homes on their own lands, such as at Emmet Road in Dublin City.

In respect of the LDA, details of the work that the LDA is progressing on public lands that will deliver affordable purchase and cost rental can be found here: lda.ie/projects-schemes/

The LDA will also deliver Cost Rental under Project Tosaigh, which is a market engagement initiative to unlock land with full planning permission that is not being developed by private sector owners. Full details of the initiative can be found here: lda.ie/home-building-partnership/

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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246. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department has issued price guidelines for the purchase of turn-key homes in each local authority area; and the amount that has been recommended and approved for three-bedroom semi-detached houses in each local authority area. [46414/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The current cost guidelines for the acquisition of houses and apartments for social housing use were updated and issued to local authorities in May 2022. A copy of these, in tabular format for each local authority will be provided to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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247. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of affordable homes that have been approved and contracted in each local authority area in each of the months April to August 2022; if he will identify their locations and numbers of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46415/22]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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248. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the price guidelines that his Department has issued for the prices of affordable homes in each local authority; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that houses that are fully compliant with current regulations are available at these prices in each location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46416/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Affordable homes made available through the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme are covered by the Affordable Housing Act 2021 and associated Regulations. Delivery of these homes is primarily a matter for each Local Authority, though the Department supports delivery through grants from the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF). The Department does not set price ceilings for homes the AHF will support. However, Local Authorities are required to demonstrate that the funding provided will allow the delivery of the homes at purchase prices below market value and that the homes are suitable for the moderate income, first-time buyer households which are the target market.

Under the legislation, the purchase price of a home made available by a Local Authority varies according to the property and the purchasing power of an eligible applicant, though will be between 5% and a maximum 40% below the market value of the home. However, this is subject to a minimum sale price set by the Local Authority having regard to the various costs associated with delivery and the level of financial subsidy available, including grant funding from the AHF. This is set out in the Affordable Housing (No. 2) Regulations 2021 (available online at www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2022/si/183/made/en/print).

Separately, the First Home Scheme, launched on 7 July 2022, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. It uses regional price ceilings aligned to the median prices paid for new-build homes by first time buyers in each area. This is to temper any inflationary pressures and to target support at the lower part of the price distribution in each area, as well as to encourage additional housing supply at this price level. Full details of the First Home Scheme, including the price ceilings broken down by Local Authority area, are available on the scheme website: www.firsthomescheme.ie.