Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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261. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will report on the changes to the tenant-in-situ scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22446/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The main emphasis of the Government remains on constructing new homes and that unquestionably, is the correct approach, however I am pleased that the Government is providing continuing and substantial financial support to local authorities to acquire second-hand properties for priority categories of need, including tenants-in-situ who have been in receipt of supports under HAP or RAS and who had received a Notice of Termination.

I have made €325 million available to our local authorities for their social housing second-hand acquisitions activity in 2025 and asked that they prioritise tenant-in-situ acquisitions, but have also allowed for other priority categories such as properties that allow persons/families to exit homelessness; one-bedroom properties to deliver on Housing First targets; specific housing required for people with a disability or the elderly and vacant properties under the Buy & Renew scheme.

Despite some coverage to the contrary, the eligibility criteria for tenant-in-situ acquisitions in 2025 is largely the same as guidance issued in June, 2024 and not substantially different to what was required in 2023. We have asked local authorities, as we did in previous years, to ensure that they are responding to a valid Notice of Termination where there is a real risk of homelessness and to examine all options for the ongoing accommodation of the household before progressing with an acquisition.

We have also asked that local authorities would give priority to families with children, older persons or people with a disability who are at serious risk of homelessness; however prioritising households should not be interpreted as excluding any household and the final decisions in relation to each individual acquisition rests, as it should, with the local authority.

The €325 million has been made available to our local authorities for their social housing second-hand acquisitions activity in 2025, with individual allocations for the local authorities being notified to them on 1 April 2025. The provision of a capital funding allocation will help promote best practice in obtaining value for money and provide local authorities with the flexibility to respond to needs and priorities locally within the categories of need being prioritised.