Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1184. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the tenure mix that is, social, cost-rental, affordable purchase of Cork City Council’s 823-home pipeline at the Railyard (217) and Creamfields (606); the projected first-occupation dates; if modern methods of construction, including mass-timber will be facilitated through procurement and building-control guidance; and any funding streams to de-risk timber adoption at scale. [45420/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Under ‘Housing For All’, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), working in close collaboration with Housing Authorities, play a large role in delivery across various blended delivery streams.

One of those streams is the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF).

CALF is a loan facility, which is exclusively available to AHBs to assist them with access to private or Housing Finance Agency (HFA) loan finance for acquisition, construction or refurbishment projects that will deliver homes to be made available for social housing support purposes.

The Facility is only available as part of a project where the AHB makes homes available under a Payment & Availability (P&A) agreement to nominees of the housing authority for a set period of time. P&A payments, together with the CALF, have become one of the main funding mechanisms for the supply of social housing by AHBs. CALF funding is available for acquisition, construction or refurbishment projects from 25% up to a maximum of 30% of eligible capital costs for any project that is assessed as meeting housing need and sustainable community requirements.

My Department has issued CALF Funding approval on both the Creamfields and Railyard Developments. There are a number of steps that an AHB must take after the Department approval issues i.e. securing the private finance element for the development, legal agreements and contracts.

My Department continues to liaise directly with the Local Authority and the AHB on the progression of the project through the build period. The allocation of social housing to tenants and matters arising, including the length of time it takes for this to happen upon completion of a project, is a matter for the Local Authority and accordingly such information is not available in my Department.

My Department publishes a quarterly Social Housing Construction Status Report, which provides a breakdown of local authority and Approved Housing Body social housing new-build activity.

As with all new build projects there are a variety of construction methods considered by developers from traditional to a combination of traditional and off site manufacturing e.g bathroom pods.

Like CALF, the Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) is another funding stream whereby homes are delivered through AHBs.

CREL is intended to assist moderate-income households which are above the income limits for social housing, but which have difficulty affording private rental accommodation. It provides funding to AHBs to finance development or acquisitions of new homes, on a sliding scale basis of up to 55% of the total capital costs for the homes, which comprises a mix of a long-term loan along with a State equity investment element.

As with CALF, CREL funding approval has been granted for a development at each of the locations referred to, and the Department is continuing to liaise directly with the Housing Agency and the AHB.

All Cost Rental providers are legally obliged to make Cost Rental homes available in line with the provisions of Part 3 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021. The process of advertising a tenancy under Cost Rental is set out the Cost Rental Letting and Eligibility Regulations 2021.

Under these regulations, vacancies in all Cost Rental properties must be advertised online for a period of at least 7 days, during which time households can express their interest in leasing the properties in a form designated by the landlord, including through the submission of applications by electronic means. The allocation of CREL housing to tenants and matters arising, including the length of time it takes for this to happen upon completion of a project, is a matter for the AHB and accordingly such information is not available in my Department.