Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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393.To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if there is an official pause on the cost-rental tenant-in-situ scheme; if such a pause exists, how long it is intended to last for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24924/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ (CRTiS) scheme was introduced on 1 April 2023 for tenants in private rental homes who do not qualify for social housing supports and are at risk of homelessness because a landlord has served a valid Notice of Termination due to an intention to sell the property. The primary tenant eligibility condition for accessing Cost Rental housing also applies for eligibility for the CRTiS scheme, which is a maximum net annual household income (less income tax, PRSI, USC and superannuation contributions) of €66,000 for Dublin and €59,000 in the rest of Ireland.

The Local Authority conducts the initial assessment for eligibility of the tenant for this scheme and refers potential cases to the Housing Agency, which is responsible for administering and managing the scheme on behalf of my Department on a temporary administrative basis, pending further policy development over the longer term, with the intention of transitioning these homes to the standard Cost Rental model over time and moving it to being an Approved Housing Body led scheme. My Department is currently completing the relevant policy work to ensure that the transition to the standard Cost Rental model has the required legal and financial framework in place and it is intended to bring forward necessary amendments to the Affordable Housing Act 2021 in due course to enable that transition.

In tandem with this work, the Housing Agency continues to accept and review referrals from Local Authorities for the CRTiS scheme and I am informed that the Housing Agency are engaging with more than 140 landlords across all Local Authority areas, with a view to the purchase of those homes.

Data for affordable housing delivery is published on a quarterly basis, similar to social housing delivery. This data is published up to Quarter 4 2023, including CRTiS figures, and is available on my Department's website: .