Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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454. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to introduce a standalone scheme for persons living in a home built prior to 1991 which has construction defects; and the existing reliefs for such persons. [55326/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments in respect of the important policy area of addressing building defects. It commits to an examination of defects in housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing’s report "Safe as Houses?”

In response to the difficulties that homeowners are facing due to the presence of deleterious material in their houses, my Department has put measures in place to support homeowners including providing considerable financial assistance to remediate their homes. In this regard, the Pyrite Remediation Scheme and the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme are both currently in operation and are underpinned by legislation.

Furthermore, on 11 December I announced the opening of the Interim Remediation Scheme for the funding of emergency fire safety defect works in apartments and duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013. The Scheme will provide for the full funding of interim measures in order to provide an acceptable level of fire safety in buildings, pending completion of the full remedial works.

Full remedial works, which will include all necessary fire safety measures as well as those related to water ingress and structural damage, will be funded under a statutory scheme. I expect the draft legislation to be published in 2024. It is intended that subject to the legislative process, the statutory scheme will be in place shortly thereafter.

Homes built prior to 1991 are eligible to be included in both the Pyrite Remediation Scheme and Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Schemes provided they meet the terms and conditions of these Schemes.

There are currently no plans to introduce a further standalone scheme for homes not covered by any of the three Schemes I have referenced.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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455. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of Housing First tenancies that have materialised as targeted under 3.4 of Housing For All; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55327/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Housing First recognises that a stable home provides the basis for recovery in other areas. With Housing First, the priority is to support a person who has experienced homelessness into permanent housing as quickly as possible, without any preconditions around addiction or mental health treatment. Then, intensive work continues on these issues once they are housed. Housing First is a key element of Government homelessness policy.

Housing for All - a New Housing Plan for Ireland committed to the further expansion of Housing First. A new National Implementation Plan, which provides for a further 1,319 tenancies covering the period 2022-2026, was published in December 2021. The new Plan outlines the targets for each region and in each year.

Data on the number of Housing First tenancies created are published every three months as part of my Department's Homeless Quarterly Progress Reports. The most recent report, for Q3 2023, can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/274911/5ec39432-f69e-4deb-9215-acf90a5c2380.pdf#page=null

Up to the end of Q3 2023, a total of 445 Housing First tenancies have been created since the launch of the 2022-2026 National Implementation Plan.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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456. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the expansion of data-sharing arrangements between the Residential Tenancies Board and the Revenue Commissioners under target 2.6 of Housing For All; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55328/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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On 24 October 2023, the Government approved the General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill for priority drafting and publication during this Oireachtas session.

The Bill proposes, inter alia, a number of technical amendments to enhance the operation of the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2022, the outcomes thereunder and the operational efficiencies of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). The General Scheme provides for data exchange from Revenue Commissioners to the RTB to help discharge its functions under the Acts.