Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Under Housing for All, the Government has targeted the delivery of 28,500 new affordable homes from 2022 to 2026, to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.

Each local authority has prepared and published its own 5-year Housing Delivery Action Plan setting out their planned social and affordable housing delivery. Clare County Council's plan is available on its official website.

Clare does not have an affordable housing target as the assessed level of affordably constrained need is not high in the county as house prices are below the national median. However, the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) is open and available to support all local authorities to address any localised affordability needs where they occur.

My Department has met with Clare County Council to discuss its plans for affordable purchase schemes at Ennis and Shannon. Funding approval under the AHF is now in place to assist with the delivery of 10 affordable purchase homes at Shannon, while a further application for a proposed scheme at Ennis has been received by the Department and is currently under assessment.

The Department, in conjunction with the Housing Agency and the Housing Delivery Coordination Office of the Local Government Management Association, will continue to advise and support Clare County Council in relation to its planned response to affordable housing needs in its area.

The First Home Scheme is also available to support the purchase of new homes at an affordable price in the private market and has delivered to date for a number of eligible affordable housing applicants in Co. Clare. Full details of the First Home Scheme are available at: www.firsthomescheme.ie.

I anticipate that the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, which includes funding for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and the Ready to Build Scheme, will also prove valuable in addressing overall affordability needs in Clare. A Vacant Homes Officer is in place who can assist the public with bringing vacant homes back into use, with up to €70,000 in grant support available to do so.

Significant progress is being made to deliver the Government's ambitious social and affordable housing targets under Housing for All, and my Department is working to further accelerate delivery with local authorities, AHBs, the LDA, and via the First Home scheme.