Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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172. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding allocated for social housing acquisitions to each local authority in each year 2020 to 2024 inclusive; and the amount of the allocation spent in each year and the amount unspent/carried over to the following year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16450/25]

Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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175. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 476 of 25 March 2025, the current status of the acquisition delivery team to ensure each local authority meets its tenant-in-situ purchase targets; the work the team undertook to meet these targets in 2023 and 2024; the guidelines issued to local authorities and the Housing Agency in respect of the scheme’s operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15967/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 172 and 175 together.

The clear focus of Government is to increase the supply of new build social and affordable homes. Increasing the overall housing supply is key to addressing the housing challenge and in particular preventing and ultimately eliminating long term homelessness.

Social Housing acquisitions targets, including Tenant in Situ acquisitions, were increased by way of Government decision in 2023 as a short term response to the reported uplift in sales by landlords of homes which were within the HAP and RAS schemes in order to prevent potential homelessness where other solutions could not be found for the affected tenants.

A further Government decision extended such acquisitions into 2024 with approval granted for 1,300 Tenant in Situ acquisitions in addition to the 200 priority acquisitions target for 2024 contained in Housing for All.

Tenant in Situ acquisitions have been an important measure in the prevention of homelessness since their introduction in 2023. Government has agreed to continue such acquisitions in 2025 any my Department has issued a circular to all local authorities in relation tot he extension to the programme and the updated criteria.

Since the Government decision to increase social housing acquisitions in 2023, my Department has consistently engaged with local authorities to ensure the operation of the scheme was consistent across all local authorities in line with the guidance provided in circulars. My Department also established a cross sectoral steering group with the objective of monitoring progress of Social Housing Acquisitions. The Steering Group provided oversight, reviewed issues, explores solution options, and ensured a consistent approach was adopted across local authorities. An example of this was how the Steering Group led in the initiative to adopt a consistent approach across all local authorites for Housing Assistance Payment Inter Authority acquisitions.

My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis on social and affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Comprehensive data on social and affordable housing is published on my Department's website up to Quarter 3 2024, including completed acquisitions: .

Social housing acquisition targets have been surpassed in 2022 and 2023. Data for Q4 2024 is currently being collated and will be available shortly.

My Department does not provide specific allocations to local authorities for social housing projects, rather my Department recoups the relevant local authorities as projects advance and claims fall due for payment in line with the relevant scheme conditions.

Under revised arrangements for second hand acquisitions in 2025 local authorities have received a capital funding allocation for the acquisition of second hand dwellings.