Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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498. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will outline, in light of recent reports concerning the status of the tenant in situ scheme in Cork city and Cork county, the number of acquisitions currently paused or delayed due to funding constraints in each of these local authorities; whether he intends to provide supplementary funding to address the reported €1.7 million shortfall that is preventing both Cork City Council and Cork County Council from completing purchase agreements already initiated under the scheme; whether his Department will consider reallocating underutilised funds from other local authorities to areas of acute need such as Cork; the measures being taken to ensure that local authorities can continue to use the scheme effectively as a homelessness-prevention tool in 2025 and beyond; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36221/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The clear focus of Government is to increase the supply of new build social and affordable homes. This is key to addressing the housing challenge and in particular preventing and ultimately eliminating long term homelessness, and that unquestionably must be the priority for all local authorities including Cork City Council and Cork County Council.

My Department is continuing to provide 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; was the case in previous years, local authorities are best placed to determine the most appropriate way to prioritise which acquisitions to pursue within the priority categories for second hand acquisitions, based on needs within their area, including tenant in situ, at the same time supporting anyone who is in threat of homelessness via their Tenancy Sustainment and Placefinder services.

one-bedroom properties to deliver on Housing First targets; and specific housing required for people with a disability or the elderly.

Over the last three years, my Department has provided funding for second hand acquisitions for a number of priority categories, including Tenant -in -Situ, demonstrating a clear commitment to respond to shorter-term pressures that can arise. This year we are providing €325 million to local authorities for second-hand acquisitions, this gives them the flexibility to respond to these acute situations, while we continue to support their construction programmes. Of that €325m, €8m has been set aside as a contingency that will be used as necessary to round off a local authorities allocation later in the year if the amount remaining to them is insufficient to meet the full costs of an additional acquisition or approved refurbishment costs.

Cork City Council has been given an initial capital funding allocation of €20 million for their acquisitions activity this year of which they have drawn down c. €8.2m (41%) while Cork County Council has received an allocation of €15m of which they have drawn down c. €3.1m (21%). Nationally, to date in 2025, local authorities have recouped approximately 30% of the total funding allocated.

As my Department continues to engage with all local authorities to address any challenges which have emerged in order to ensure that tenant in situ acquisitions can continue in 2025 where no other solutions exist for the affected households.