Written answers

Tuesday, 21 March 2023

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Housing Schemes

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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423. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide details of the new initiatives for which he has recently got approval from Cabinet (details supplied) that will assist those with eviction notices to buy their own homes or for their homes to transfer to cost-rental; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12919/23]

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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433. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to the announcement of the end to the eviction ban and his statement in Dáil Éireann (details supplied), if he will outline the new mechanism referred to; and when it will be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12993/23]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 423 and 433 together.

On the 7 March last the Government decided that the “Winter Emergency Period”, under the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Act 2022, will cease on the 31 March. This will see deferred tenancy terminations taking effect over a staggered period from 1 April to 18 June 2023.

In addition to the on-going and additional measures taken to put in place increased options, including the tenant in situ scheme, to mitigate the impact of the end of the emergency period, Government has now also agreed on a number of new measures.

This includes developing a legislative provision which may require a landlord selling a property to offer “First Right of Refusal” to a tenant. In order that tenants would have as full an opportunity as possible to purchase the home, I have also issued a request to the First Home scheme Designated Activity Company to expand its eligibility so that in in­stances where tenants have received a notice of termination they would be eligible for support under that scheme.

In addition, I am developing proposals for a bespoke cost rental model which would see a provider, such as an Approved Housing Body, avail of this First Right of Refusal to purchase the property and allow tenants who have received a notice of termination, and who are at risk of homelessness but not on social housing supports, continue to reside in the property. I intend that the cost rental tenant in situ backstop will be applied on an administrative basis from 1 April 2023 prior to legislative enactment with a view to supporting households at risk of homelessness.

The details of these schemes are in the process of being advanced and information will be available in due course.

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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424. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of data (details supplied) under several sub-headings for each the past ten years, in tabular form. [12920/23]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Housing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the Land Development Agency and €5bn funding through the Housing Finance Agency.

Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022-2026. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new build projects delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).

My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity. This data is available to the end of Quarter 3 2022, and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/

Data on the number of private rented tenancies registered with the RTB from 2005-2021 is available on the RTB website at the following link: www.rtb.ie/data-hub/rtb-private-tenancy-registration-statistics. Information can also be obtained from the RTB’s dedicated Oireachtas Members’ email address OireachtasMembersQueries@rtb.ie. Data on Approved Housing Body (AHB) tenancies registered with the RTB is also available from the RTB website at the following link: www.rtb.ie/data-hub/approved-housing-bodies

My Department does not hold details of the number of homes that are owned as a principle private residence, or details of tenancies in local authority or AHB properties.My Department has no role in Rent Supplement, which is a matter for the Minister for Social Protection.

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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425. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will extend the shared equity scheme to any home that comes under the price threshold and not just designated affordable homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12952/23]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The First Home Scheme, launched on 7 July 2022, supports eligible first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. It also supports other purchasers who have previously owned a home, under the 'Fresh Start' principle. Support available under the First Home is targetted at new build homes as a key policy objective of the scheme is to encourage and increase the supply pipeline for new homes.

Homes are not specifically designated as eligible under the First Home Scheme, since all new-build homes on the private market are eligible purchases, subject to the revised regional price ceilings which came into effect on 1 January this year.

The scheme is administered by the First Home Scheme Ireland DAC, which is responsible for governance and operations. Further information on the scheme, including scheme conditionality, is available on the official website at: www.firsthomescheme.ie.

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