Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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83. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government about the recent changes to the tenant in situ scheme; if he is aware of the risk of increased homelessness as a result of this change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24733/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Increasing supply is key to addressing homelessness. Government is fully committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver social, affordable and cost rental homes at scale and to continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures. This is demonstrated by the record level of investment which is being provided for the delivery of Housing in 2025, with overall capital funding available of €6.8 billion. The capital provision is supplemented by a further €1.65 billion in current funding to address housing need.

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. 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.

My Department continues to engage with local authorities on any challenges which have emerged so as to ensure tenant in situ acquisitions remain an option in 2025 where other solutions cannot be found.