Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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208. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when his Department will issue the Ministerial Directive and guidelines to local authorities to allow them to process the new tenant purchase scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49382/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme was reviewed in 2021 in line with Programme for Government and Housing for All commitments, with a number of changes subsequently coming into effect from 1 February 2022. The minimum reckonable income required to be eligible under the scheme changed from €15,000 to €12,500. The time tenants are required to be in receipt of social housing supports to be able to apply under the scheme has also been revised. This has been increased from one to ten years. Applications received by local authorities prior to 1 February 2022 should be assessed per the regulations and requirements in place at the time, with applications received thereafter assessed in accordance with the new requirements. While local authorities were formally advised of these changes by Department Circular on 12 January 2022, revised scheme guidelines, and a Ministerial Order giving effect to changes in the treatment of the State contributory and non-contributory pensions for reckonable income purposes issued to all local authorities on the 29 September 2022.

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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209. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when he intends to issue the Ministerial Directive and guidelines to local authorities to allow them to process the new Croí Cónaithe vacant properties grant scheme for rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49383/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. Many areas of cities, towns and villages of all sizes face the blight of vacant properties, which, if brought back into use, could add vibrancy and provide new accommodation in those areas. The Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund is a key initiative which underpins these policy objectives set out in Pathway Four of Housing for All.

Schemes under the Fund, which are delivered by local authorities, provide new choices for people to live in towns and villages in Ireland, through the provision of a grant to support the refurbishment of vacant properties and by providing serviced sites in towns and villages to people in order to build their own homes.

On the 14 July, I launched the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, funded by the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund. The grant will benefit those who wish to turn a formerly vacant house or building into their principal private residence. A grant of up to a maximum of €30,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence, including the conversion of a property which has not previously been used as residential. Where the refurbishment costs are expected to exceed the standard grant of up to €30,000, a maximum top-up grant amount of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed to be derelict, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €50,000.

On 21 September, I launched the Ready to Build Scheme, also funded by the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund. Under the Ready to Build Scheme, local authorities will make serviced sites in towns and villages available to potential individual purchasers to build their homes. These sites will be available at a discount on the market value of the site for the building of a property for occupation as the principal private residence of the purchaser.

When the Fund was launched, I committed to ongoing review of the schemes under it. Feedback on the Vacant Property Refurbishment Scheme to date has been very positive, with 169 applications submitted by the start of September.

Given that a key objective of Pathway 4 of Housing for All is to ensure that the houses we already have are being fully used, I have decided to extend the eligibility for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant to vacant properties in both our cities and rural areas.

Both schemes under the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund will continue to be only for those who intend to occupy the property as their principal private residence. Officials in my Department are working with the Vacant Homes Officers (VHO) in each local authority in the coming weeks to update the details of the Grant, with a view to the expanded scheme being available in November.

VHOs in each local authority will be available to provide advice and information on the schemes and the application process.