Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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75. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for an update on upcoming cost rental schemes in Cork city and county. [6891/24]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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Cost rental is a new form of tenure which was introduced under the Affordable Housing Act 2021, where rents are set only to cover the cost of financing, building, managing and maintaining the homes. The Housing for All strategy commits to delivering a total of 18,000 Cost Rental homes over the period to 2030, and significant funding is being made available to support provision by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), local authorities, the Land Development Agency (LDA), and now also private providers under the new Secure Tenancy Affordable Rental (STAR) investment scheme.

I am pleased to announce that AHBs delivered 105 cost rental homes in Cork City. I have also approved 5 affordable housing projects in Cork County to assist with the delivery of 111 cost rental homes, through the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF). Additionally, the LDA, via Project Tosaigh, are advancing the delivery of over 300 homes in Cork City that are scheduled for delivery in 2025. I understand that consideration is being given to the mix of cost rental and purchase homes within the development.

My Department and I continue to work closely with the relevant partners to further develop their pipeline for delivery of cost rental homes nationally, including Cork city and county.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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76. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of grants drawn down and associated money under the vacant homes grant in County Roscommon and County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6368/24]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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83. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount of vacant property refurbishment grant funding drawn down to date by each respective local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6651/24]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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118. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government how many applications were received for the vacant property refurbishment grant in Cork in 2023; how many applications were successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6982/24]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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139. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for an update on the croí cónaithe scheme; how many applications have been made for this scheme in relation to counties Cavan and Monaghan; what stage those applications are at presently; and how many of those have been granted, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6617/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 76, 83, 118 and 139 together.

Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock.

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant supports bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. A grant of up to a maximum of €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent.

Where the refurbishment costs are expected to exceed the standard grant of up to €50,000, a maximum top-up grant amount of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed by the applicant to be derelict or where the property is already on the local authority’s Derelict Sites Register, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000.

The grant is available in respect of vacant and derelict properties built up to and including 2007, in towns, villages, cities and rural areas.

Feedback on the Grant has been very positive, with over 6,500 applications reported as received to date, 3,570 applications approved and in excess of 135 grants paid out as works are completed

Currently, from the data available to my Department, works are taking some 13 months to complete, at which point the local authority will conduct a final visit to check the works have been carried out. Where the local authority is satisfied, and the necessary documentation is provided by the applicant, the grant can then be paid.

Data available to my Department shows that of the applications approved to 31^stDecember 2023, a total of 150 were approved over 13 months previously, so the number of grants paid are tracking the levels of initial approvals as the grant got up and running.

It is anticipated that the payment of grants by Local Authorities will increase significantly during 2024 as more works are completed in line with approval timelines.

My Department publishes data on applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant on its website on a quarterly basis. Data published includes the number of applications received, approved, rejected and paid per local authority and the total value of grants paid.

When the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund was launched, a commitment was given that the schemes funded by it would be kept under ongoing review. A comprehensive review and evaluation of the schemes under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund is underway and is expected to be completed by mid-2024.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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77. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government how many tenant-in-situ applications in 2023 to date in 2024; how many applications were successful, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6890/24]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 79 together.

For 2023, Government agreed an increased provision for social housing acquisitions and my Department provided funding for local authorities to acquire at least 1,500 social homes. The additional acquisitions have focused particularly on properties where a tenant is in receipt of social housing supports and has received a Notice of Termination due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property. My Department issued a circular letter in March 2023, setting out details of these arrangements and each local authority was provided with a provisional allocation for social housing acquisitions in 2023. Local authorities have delegated sanction in relation to these acquisitions, subject to those acquisitions being within Acquisition Cost Guidelines issued by the Department. As such, applications are a matter for the local authorities.

My Department does not hold data, therefore, on the number of social housing acquisitions applications that have been withdrawn or rejected, nor on the reasons for such withdrawals or rejections. Further information may be available from individual local authorities.

My Department publishes comprehensive statistics on a quarterly basis on social and affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority, including completed acquisitions. From 2023, this data includes a breakdown of acquisitions where a Notice of Termination issued. www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/