Written answers

Thursday, 23 March 2023

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Approved Housing Bodies

Photo of Cormac DevlinCormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

222. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of overall units and number of complexes owned and managed by an approved housing body (details supplied); and the funding provided by his Department to this AHB, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14533/23]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Statistics on overall units owned, managed or leased by AHBs are captured as part of the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority’s (AHBRA) annual monitoring programme. The first monitoring programme took place in 2022 and statistics will be published by the Regulator over the coming months.

Information in respect of funding for individual Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) is not readily available within my Department.

There are a broad range of funding and delivery mechanisms available to local authorities to deliver housing supports in partnership with AHBs. My Department does not fund AHBs directly, rather the funding is primarily provided to the local authorities, who in turn, advance the funding to the AHBs, as appropriate.

In 2022, almost €0.8 billion was provided by my Department to the local authorities in respect of a range of AHB capital and current funded schemes.

In addition, relevant information in respect of homeless expenditure is published on my Department’s website at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/collection/80ea8-homelessness-data/#local-authority-regional-financial-reports

According to the last annual report published by the AHB in Question (2021), a total of 2,704 properties are owned and managed by that organisation.

Photo of Cormac DevlinCormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

223. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of an approved housing body (details supplied); and if it held a management company annual general meeting in 2021 and 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14534/23]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As provided for in the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 (the Act), the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) was formally established on 1 February 2021. AHBRA is an independent body tasked with the regulation of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) for the purposes of protecting housing assets provided or managed by such bodies.

The register of AHBs previously managed by my Department was officially transferred to AHBRA on 1 January 2022. On this date there were 450 AHBs that were deemed registered and are subject to all provisions in the Act. The AHB in question is listed as registered. The register is published on AHBRA's website, available here: www.ahbregulator.ie/registration/the-register/

The Governance standard includes the need to demonstrate that an effective governing body, or Board, of an AHB is in place. The Regulator is responsible for monitoring compliance by AHBs with the approved standards, and information regarding AGMs is collected as part of the yearly monitoring programme, the first of which took place in 2022. The Regulator has the power to carry out a standards assessment to determine if an AHB is complying or failing to comply with the standards. Anyone concerned that an AHB is not complying with the standards can submit a complain to AHBRA via email to concerns@ahbregulator.ie

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.