Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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97. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide an update on plans for affordable housing schemes in County Louth; if there has been a review of the affordability criteria for this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36969/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Funding approvals are now in place for the delivery of over 4,300 affordable purchase and cost rental homes by 21 local authorities with the support of the Affordable Housing Fund. The legislative framework and arrangements in place to support local authority affordable purchase schemes are proving effective.

Louth County Council has already delivered their first local authority led affordable purchase scheme. My Department, in conjunction with the Housing Delivery Co-ordination Office of the Local Government Management Association and the Housing Agency, is continuing to advise and support Louth in developing further affordable housing schemes that are well-aligned with the local housing market context and that deliver on Louth's Housing Delivery Action Plan and affordable delivery targets.

Affordable purchase is also being supported in Louth through the First Home Scheme, with 180 approvals provided in respect of homes in Louth to Q1 2024. Louth has also seen its first cost rental homes delivered and the Vacant Property Refurbishment grant is also available to enable bringing homes back into use.

Affordable Housing delivery reports based on quarterly returns received from local authorities are published on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/?#affordable-housing-delivery.