Written answers

Tuesday, 30 September 2025

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Housing Provision

Photo of Rory HearneRory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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563. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of CALF funding approvals granted to date in 2025, by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51608/25]

Photo of James BrowneJames Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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CALF funding is capital support provided to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) by local authorities to facilitate the funding of construction and purchase of new social housing homes. This loan facility can support between 25% and 30% of the eligible capital cost of the housing project, with the remaining finance sourced by the AHBs from private lenders (usually the Housing Finance Agency (HFA)).

The properties are provided to local authorities for social housing use under long-term lease arrangements known as Payment and Availability Agreements. A nominal interest rate of 2% fixed per annum is charged by the local authority on the initial capital amount. Repayments on either the capital or interest are not required during the term of the loan (between 10 and 30 years), although where an AHB chooses to, repayments can be made during the term. At the end of the term, the outstanding capital amount plus the interest accrued, is owed and repayable to the local authority. The local authority issues the CALF monies to the AHB and the local authority, in turn, recoups same from the Department.

Since 1 January 2025 to 24 September 2025 the total number of CALF approvals granted is 116.

Local Authority
Projects Approved
Carlow 2
Cavan 1
Clare 2
Cork City 10
Cork County 6
DLR 3
Dublin City 22
Fingal 7
Galway City 1
Kerry 1
Kildare 8
Kilkenny 2
Laois 4
Limerick 9
Louth 4
Mayo 1
Meath 4
Offaly 1
South Dublin 14
Tipperary 1
Waterford 3
Westmeath 4
Wexford 2
Wicklow 4
Grand Total 116

Photo of Rory HearneRory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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564. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of CREL funding approvals granted to date in 2025, by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51609/25]

Photo of Rory HearneRory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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565. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government of the CREL approvals granted to date in 2025, the number that were projects which first applied for funding in 2024, by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51610/25]

Photo of Rory HearneRory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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566. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of CREL projects awaiting approval, by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51611/25]

Photo of James BrowneJames Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 564, 565 and 566 together.

Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) funding is available to AHBs to provide affordable rented accommodation to those on middle incomes. The nature of the cost rental model means that cost rental homes are made available at a certain rent level, which is needed to cover the costs of delivery and maintenance of the cost rental homes, and must be at least 25 per cent below prevailing market rents.

Applications for CREL are regularly received by my Department and as such the assessment and approval of applications on hand is continual. As with all Exchequer-supported projects, my Department, as approving authority, assesses each project application for suitability, value for money and compliance with the various requirements of the applicable funding scheme. The processing time for individual applications can vary significantly depending upon the complexity and specific characteristics of each application.

The Table below sets out the number of CREL funding approvals granted from the beginning of 2025 to date by Local Authority, and the number granted for which the Department received the report in 2024.

Local Authority No. of Funding Approvals Granted in 2025 No. of Funding Approvals Granted in 2025 where the report was received in 2024
Cork City 8 3
Cork County 1 0
Dun Laoghaire - Rathdown 2 0
Dublin City 2 0
Fingal 6 1
Galway City 2 0
Kildare 2 0
Kilkenny 1 0
Laois 1 0
Limerick 2 0
Louth 3 0
Meath 4 0
South Dublin 3 1
Westmeath 3 1
Wicklow 1 0
TOTAL 41 6
It is important to note that there will always be projects on hand with my Department which are either under assessment or the subject of further engagement with LAs or AHBs. This is perfectly normal in the context of the Social and Affordable housing projects which have been or are being handled by my Department currently which are scheduled for delivery in the period 2025 – 2029.

Details of proposals awaiting approval cannot be released due to reasons of commercial sensitivity. However, my Department can confirm that it continues to work with the AHB sector to deliver cost rental homes at scale under the Cost Rental Equity Loan Scheme, with a view to achieving Housing For All targets.

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