Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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107. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the measures his Department is taking to ensure that the affordable to purchase housing at Shanganagh, and on all other publicly provided affordable housing schemes, will be genuinely affordable for those on average incomes. [36999/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The social and affordable housing development at Shanganagh is being delivered in a partnership between Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the Land Development Agency (LDA). In addition to social housing, the scheme will deliver 306 cost rental and 91 affordable purchase homes.

In line with the Affordable Housing Act 2021, the administration of affordable housing schemes is a matter for the delivery partners, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in collaboration with the LDA, who I expect will announce the cost rents and discounted affordable prices at which the homes will be made available to eligible persons when they are in a position to advertise the properties in line with standard arrangements.

Funding to support affordable delivery of the affordable purchase homes is approved from the Affordable Housing Fund to assist with the development costs of the 91 homes for affordable purchase. It is a condition of this funding that the homes be offered to eligible households at a discounted upfront affordable price of at least 15% below the market value of the homes.

I understand that the cost rental apartments will be let and managed by the LDA. The designation of cost rental homes requires that the initial rent is set at a rate that is at least 25% below the market rent for comparable homes in the same location.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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108. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will update schemes of letting priorities to incentivise people to work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36949/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The allocation of local authority dwellings, including the prioritisation of certain categories of households, is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with their allocation scheme made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations.

This legislation requires all local authorities, as a reserved function, to make an allocation scheme which specifies, among other things, the manner of, and the order of priority for, the allocation of dwellings to households on the housing and transfer lists.

Decisions on the allocation of social housing support are a matter solely for the local authority concerned.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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109. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for an update on the local authority purchase and renovation loan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36931/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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On 5 June I received Government approval for a Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan (LAPR), which is an expansion of local mortgage lending to support the purchase and/or renovation of homes which are eligible for the existing Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant.

The introduction of the Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan significantly expands the number of homes eligible under current local authority mortgage lending rules. Eligibility for the loan is subject to creditworthy applicants meeting the existing local authority mortgage eligibility criteria and the project meeting the scheme lending criteria.

This reinforces the Government’s commitment to bring homes back into use, a key objective of Housing for All, while also providing another funding pathway for individuals to realise their goal of homeownership.

The Housing Purchase and Renovation Loans Regulations 2024 (S.I. 353 of 2024) were signed on 17 July 2024 and came into effect on 22 July 2024.

The loan is open for applications with details available via the website on www.purchaseandrenovationloan.ie.