Written answers

Monday, 9 September 2024

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Housing Schemes

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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813.To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of applications made to the local authority home loan scheme in respect of applicants in Galway city since January 2022; the number of these applications that have been approved; the number of these applications that have been refused; the average time from application to decision; the number of loans that have been taken up to date under the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[34690/24]

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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814.To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of applications made to the local authority home loan scheme in respect of applicants in Galway county since January 2022; the number of these applications that have been approved; the number of these applications that have been refused; the average time from application to decision; the number of loans that have been taken up to date under the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[34691/24]

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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815.To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the total amount of money given out in loans to date under the local authority home loan scheme in Galway city since 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[34692/24]

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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816.To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the total amount of money given out in loans to date under the local authority home loan scheme in Galway county since 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[34693/24]

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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817.To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the total amount of money given out in loans to date under the local authority home loan scheme in each local authority since 2022; the total amount of money given out in loans to date under the local authority home loan scheme nationwide since 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[34694/24]

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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818.To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if successful applicants to the local authority home loan scheme can also avail of the help-to-buy scheme; if so, to provide the number of applicants who have done so in each of the years since 2022, in tabular form, by local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[34695/24]

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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819.To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the local authority home loan scheme can be availed of in the purchase of a local authority house; if so, to provide the number of applicants who have done so in each of the years since 2022, in tabular form, by local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[34696/24]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 813 to 819, inclusive, together.

The Local Authority Home Loan (LAHL) is a Government-backed mortgage for creditworthy for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial lenders to purchase or build a home. It has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022. The loan can be used both for new and second-hand properties, or to self-build. The scheme can also be used for the purchase of homes through State schemes such as the Tenant Purchase Scheme and Affordable Housing Schemes. For new properties and self-builds, the Help to Buy Scheme, operated by Revenue, can be used towards the 10% deposit requirement for a Local Authority Home Loan.

The Housing Agency provides a central underwriting service that assesses valid applications for the Local Authority Home Loan on behalf of local authorities and makes recommendations to local authorities to approve or refuse applications.

The most recent figures provided by the Agency on the number of valid applications that it has assessed for the Local Authority Home Loan from 2022 to end July 2024 are set out in the below table:

Local Authority Valid Applications Assessed Recommended to Approve
Carlow County Council 70 26
Cavan County Council 63 26
Clare County Council 102 48
Cork City Council 204 76
Cork County Council 466 178
Donegal County Council 52 24
Dublin City Council 435 272
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council 89 41
Fingal County Council 385 212
Galway City Council 110 69
Galway County Council 163 69
Kerry County Council 121 37
Kildare County Council 213 97
Kilkenny County Council 95 53
Laois County Council 95 45
Leitrim County Council 43 14
Limerick City & County Council 117 57
Longford County Council 84 47
Louth County Council 209 78
Mayo County Council 63 29
Meath County Council 252 174
Monaghan County Council 78 21
Offaly County Council 51 23
Roscommon County Council 84 30
Sligo County Council 60 19
South Dublin County Council 229 113
Tipperary County Council 116 52
Waterford City & County Council 207 46
Westmeath County Council 77 34
Wexford County Council 162 61
Wicklow County Council 191 66
Total 4686 2137

The final decision on loan approval is a matter for the relevant local authority and its Credit Committee on a case-by-case basis. Decisions on all housing loan applications must be made in accordance with the Regulations establishing the scheme and the Credit Policy that underpins the scheme, in order to ensure prudence and consistency in approaches in the best interests of both borrowers and the lenders, the local authorities.

Information on the number and value of (i) local authority loan approvals and (ii) local authority loan draw downs as well as statistics on the various Local Authority Housing schemes in place are published on my Department's website:

www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/4b293-housing-statistics/

Statistics on the source of the deposit (such as Help to Buy) used for the purchase of a property using a Local Authority Home Loan, the use of the Local Authority Home Loan for the affordable housing and tenant purchase schemes and the average processing times for loan application are not collated by my Department.

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