Shay Brennan (Dublin Rathdown, Fianna Fail)
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84. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the changes he is making to enable smaller developers to apply for the croí cónaithe cities scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35840/25]

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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105. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to outline his plans to rework the croí cónaithe (cities) and STAR schemes to allow them to function more effectively for a wider cohort of developers. [35903/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 84 and 105 together.

The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme and the Secure Tenancy Affordable Rental (STAR) Investment Scheme are part of a suite of housing measures in Housing for All designed to increase social, affordable and private housing supply. Such measures also include local authority delivered affordable housing for purchase, the new cost rental tenure, Land Development Agency delivery of affordable housing and the First Home Scheme. The Department keeps all theses scheme under review and any changes required to optimise participation or improve efficacy as may be feasible are considered on an on-going basis

The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme supports the building of apartments for sale to owner-occupiers. The Scheme aims to bridge the current viability gap between the cost of building apartments and the market sale price (where the cost of building is greater). My Department has recently made a number of changes to the Scheme to further enhance it and encourage greater participation from private operators. These include extending the Scheme's eligible geographical area to include the metropolitan boundaries of our cities and also allowing smaller developments to apply for the Scheme, with the minimum eligibility threshold for units reduced from 40 to 20.

The STAR Scheme is intended to bring forward Cost Rental Units at scale and at rents which are more affordable, with the aim of assisting eligible households in the private rental sector, particularly in urban centres where prevailing rents are especially high.

One of the key housing commitments in the Programme for Government is to continue the STAR scheme while reviewing its criteria, to ensure greater take-up by the private development sector. This review is presently underway and my Department is evaluating the interface between STAR and private capital investment sector in order to identify any potential optimisations that could be made to enhance delivery under the scheme and encourage greater participation by private operators.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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85. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the engagement his Department has had with Fingal County Council in relation to the tenant-in-situ scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35779/25]

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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92. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to provide clarity on the funding provided to Fingal County Council for the tenant-in-situ scheme for 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35777/25]

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
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96. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of the spending by Fingal County Council on the tenant-in-situ scheme in 2024; if he will provide a projection for the spending in 2025 (specifically the number of dwellings that will be purchased); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35376/25]

Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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475. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount of funding allocated to the tenant in situ scheme in Fingal for the years 2023 and 2024; and the amount ring-fenced for 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35738/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 85, 92, 96 and 475 together.

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 Fingal County Council.

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. In 2023, my Department provided funding to local authorities to acquire 1,500 social homes nationally, an increase of 1,300 units over the number provided for under Housing for All. In 2024, funding was again provided for 1,500 acquisitions, with each local authority issued an allocation of units which may be acquired. Fingal was issued an allocation of 100 units.

This year we are providing €325 million to local authorities for second-hand acquisitions which has been apportioned across all 31 local authorities. Under revised arrangements for 2025, my Department has provided an individual funding allocation to each local authority. Fingal County Council has been given an initial capital funding allocation of €20 million for their acquisitions activity this year and this gives them the flexibility to respond to these acute situations, while we continue to support their construction programmes.

Local authorities were also issued a circular in April 2025 setting out the arrangements for 2025 and my Department continues to be in regular contact with Fingal County Council regarding the operation of the programme.

Details of the funding recouped by Fingal County Council for second hand acquisitions, including acquisitions by AHBs under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS), from 2023 to 2025 are as follows:

Fingal County Council has recouped €8.6m of their €20m allocation from my Department by end May 2025. It is a matter for local authorities to decide on how they use their funding allocations within the priority categories supported by the programme and the decisions made by Fingal County Council will determine the final outturns for 2025. In making such decisions, local authorities will have regard to the scheme criteria and their funding allocation while at the same time supporting anyone who is in threat of homelessness via their Tenancy Sustainment and Placefinder services.

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.