Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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347. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the progress to date in reviewing the income eligibility limits for social housing, with particular reference to the need to increase income levels for applicants for council housing in areas such as Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23116/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Housing for All includes a commitment to review income eligibility for social housing. From this review, completed in November 2021, it was recommended moving five local authorities from Band 3 to Band 2, ensuring the income eligibility thresholds better reflect housing costs in those counties. Government also agreed to increase the baseline income thresholds by €5,000 for all local authorities with effect from 1 January 2023. The thresholds thus increased to €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for bands 1, 2 and 3 respectively.

The review further recommended the commissioning of research to develop options for a revised or new social housing income eligibility model. My Department received this detailed research, commissioned by the Housing Agency. The scope of the research included examining the existing income limits in the context of current market and population conditions and the suitability or otherwise of the current framework having regard to the significantly changed landscape since the standardised income limits were introduced.

My Department is now undertaking a detailed examination of the report, in order to develop a new social housing income eligibility model in line with the Housing for All Action Plan update. This detailed examination will include consultation with stakeholders and will look at, inter alia, how the social housing income limits system interacts with other housing supports and ensure that they continue to target households correctly.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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348. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to outline the proposals there are to increase the number of affordable housing schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23117/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Government has targeted delivery of 54,000 affordable homes between now and 2030, to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency and via the First Home scheme, a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.

My Department is supporting this affordable housing delivery by local authorities and these key partners, with funding and other practical measures.

Local authorities have published 5 year Housing Delivery Action Plans setting out affordable housing delivery targets up to 2026. Additional affordable homes will also be delivered by the Land Development Agency (LDA), Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), via the higher Part V requirements introduced in the Affordable Housing Act 2021 and via the First Home Scheme. Individual Councils Delivery Action Plans can be accessed from their respective websites.

My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and by key delivery partners in each local authority area. Data for the years 2022 up to Q4 2024 is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/collections/overall-social-and-affordable-housing-provision/#affordable-housing-delivery.

The affordable housing pipeline continues to grow as new schemes are identified, planned and approved and will be enhanced further as the higher Part V requirements introduced in the Affordable Housing Act 2021 begin to bear fruit.

The Department continues to engage with all Local Authorities with a view to identifying further opportunities to deliver affordable housing schemes throughout the country. The Affordable Housing Delivery Unit of my Department, in conjunction with the Housing Delivery Co-ordination Office of the Local Government Management Association and the Housing Agency, are available to advise and support local authorities in responding effectively to localised affordability requirements.