Written answers
Tuesday, 1 July 2025
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Housing Provision
Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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455. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to state the number of social homes delivered via buy-and-renew in 2024; and the average cost of the delivery of these units to the Exchequer. [35402/25]
James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Local Authorities (LA's) and Approved Housing Bodies (AHB's) are supported by my Department to purchase and renovate vacant/derelict properties to be upgraded as new, value-for-money social homes.
The Buy & Renew Scheme allows LA's and AHB's to acquire and refurbish such properties and since it was introduced in 2016, in excess of 950 properties have been delivered under this arrangement, as new social homes.
In 2024, 37 units were returned to use as new social homes at an average cost of €283,364 per unit. This figure represents the amounts paid out to date by my Department and is subject to change as further claims for refurbishment works are received.
The Social Housing Investment Programme (SHIP) and Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) which are the main capital programmes that support LA's and AHB's in the development of social housing, also provides them with full funding to acquire and renew/re-model existing vacant/derelict properties, effectively obsolete properties in need of more substantial capital investment, with a view to the delivery of new build social homes.
Given the opportunities this creates for LAs and AHBs to respond to more significant dereliction in town centres, I am pleased to see an increasing use of these options, noting there is no cap or restriction on the extent to which this approach may be used by local authorities, other than the individual projects being reasonable value for money.
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