Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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44. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the financial support he is providing to local authorities to acquire second-hand properties for priority categories of need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24657/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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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 the 31 March 2025 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. 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.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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45. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for his assessment of the number of commencements for the first quarter of 2025; what measures his Department is taking to address this number and furthermore the measures his Department is taking to address uncommenced planning, particularly in relation to apartments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24508/25]