Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

779. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 258 of 1 May 2025, regarding the affordable housing and social housing scheme at Tober Ciúin, Ardmore, County Waterford, with particular regard to whether the development is to consist solely of social housing units with no affordable housing units as per his response; and if this was incorrect, if he will correct his answer. [24480/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The project referred to is intended to be developed as a mixed-tenure residential scheme comprising both social and affordable housing. The Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) is available to support local authorities to deliver affordable housing and my Department welcomes proposals which respond appropriately to identified affordability needs. Subject to the outcome of the procurement process, the Department understands that Waterford City and County Council will consider the potential for delivering 8 affordable purchase units (in addition to the planned 20 social housing units) at Tober Ciúin, Ardmore with AHF support in due course.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

780. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the Government's policy with regard to the continuation of the tenant-in-situ scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24482/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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.

The other priority categories for second-hand acquisitions are 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.

The €325 million allocation I announced on 31 March 2025 has been made available to our local authorities for their social housing second-hand acquisitions activity in 2025, and this is part of almost €2 billion in total which is supporting local authorities and approved housing bodies to deliver new social homes in 2025. Our main emphasis remains on constructing new homes and that unquestionably, is the correct approach.

I have asked our local authorities to use the full range of options for tenants-in-situ who have received a Notice of Termination. Acquiring the landlord’s property is one option, but is not the sole option. In some cases, local authorities might use the thousands of new social allocations that they make each and every year, to provide new tenancies for the families they are supporting , arising from the record numbers of new social homes delivered over recent years. Local authorities might also use their Tenancy Sustainment officers to work with tenants and landlords on options to sustain tenancies.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

781. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of properties that have been purchased under the tenant-in-situ scheme, broken down by local authority and by year. [24483/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

For 2025, I have made €325 million available to our local authorities for targeted social housing second-hand acquisitions, including for Tenant in Situ situations, following on from similar programmes in 2023 and 2024.

The detailed administration of social housing acquisitions including those for Tenants in Situ, is delegated to the local authorities, accordingly the precise details on the number of properties that have been identified by local authorities for potential purchase and the number that are progressing are not held by my Department.

However, my Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis for social housing delivery, including numbers of completed social housing acquisitions by local authorities. Those statistics show that 1,829 such acquisitions were completed in 2023 by the local authorities and 1,501 in 2024. This data is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/.