Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

60. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps that are being taken to negate the need for over-reliance by local authorities on expensive schemes such as HAP and RAS. [36756/24]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Under the Housing for All strategy, the Government plans to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 homes per year over the next decade, including an average of 10,000 new build social homes. As new build supply of social housing ramps up, there will be reducing reliance on the HAP and RAS schemes. For example, 4,614 households exited HAP in 2023 following receipt of a Social Housing tenancy and this continues.

While immediate supports are available through HAP, the Government is rapidly increasing the numbers of houses owned by Local Authorities and Approved Housing bodies so that the most vulnerable in society will have access to a home. The progress being made by Government in this regard is reducing the reliance on HAP and RAR for thousands of households every year.

The latest Social Housing Construction Status Report for the end of Quarter 1 2024 shows that 9,179 social homes were onsite with an additional 15,848 homes at design and tender stage.

For 2023 and 2024, the Government agreed that there would be increased provision for social housing acquisitions and my Department provided funding for local authorities to acquire at least 1,500 social homes per annum. The additional acquisitions have primarily focused on properties where a tenant is in receipt of social housing supports such as HAP and RAS, and has received a Notice of Termination due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property.

In July 2023 the Roadmap for increased adoption of Modern methods of Construction in Public Housing delivery was published and sets out recommendations to progress the most advanced and efficient construction methods in the delivery of housing.