Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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501. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will explain the ongoing delay in closing the purchase of affordable homes in Kilcarberry, Dunemer and Cork; and if he will confirm when these purchases will be closed and the affordable purchasers in a position to move into their homes. [13786/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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2022 represented the commencement of a very ambitious programme of delivery of affordable housing. This momentum will continue with delivery increasing significantly this year. A pipeline of affordable housing delivery is in place and under continuous development by local authorities, by Approved Housing Bodies using the Cost Rental Equity Loan and by the Land Development Agency.

Local authorities were requested to submit their data returns and information on delivery of affordable homes in their area in 2022 to my Department, in the same manner as is done for social housing. This process is now complete and statistical data on delivery across all delivery streams is currently being validated. I expect that my Department will be in a position to begin reporting on affordable delivery in national quarterly delivery statistics very shortly.

With regard to closing of the sale of each affordable home after it has been completed and delivered, conveyancing timelines are very much dependent on individual purchasers' arrangements with their mortgage provider, legal adviser and the local authority in question.

To support this new process, pro forma legal and conveyancing material were issued by my Department to all local authorities, having been agreed across stakeholders including the Law Society, all participating banks, local authorities, the Property Registration Authority and others. The sale of an affordable home is, therefore, expected to be completed shortly after the home is allocated and available for transfer to the prospective purchaser.

I can advise that sales for a number of affordable homes have now closed and the keys have been handed over to affordable purchasers in Kilcarbery in South Dublin, Dun Emer in Fingal and in schemes in Cork.