Tom Brabazon (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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269. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department will consider removing the two-year tenancy rule on tenant in situ applications. [53009/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Revisions to the Second Hand Acquisitions Programme will be considered in the context of the roll-out of next year's programme, with any revisions communicated to local authorities with their respective 2026 budget allocations early next year.

The acquisition of second hand homes as a tenancy sustainment measure is a policy tool available to local authorities as a last resort, when all other options have been exhausted, to prevent HAP and RAS supported households from falling into homelessness. Importantly, the 'two year eligibility criterion' applying to tenant in situ acquisitions applies to the property rather than an individual tenancy. Accordingly, regardless of the duration of an individual tenancy, an acquisition may be eligible under the Second Hand Acquisitions Programme where the property in question has been rented to social housing supported tenants for a continuous period of at least two years.

My Department continues to engage with local authorities on challenges emerging to ensure tenant in situ acquisitions remain an option in 2025 where other solutions cannot be found.

There is not a two year tenancy rule in place currently in respect of tenant in situ acquisitions.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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270. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the prohibitions that exist preventing local authorities selling Part V, social housing acquisitions and other social homes purchased from the private market under the tenant purchase scheme; and to list each prohibition and provide a summary of its rationale. [53057/25]

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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310. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for expansion of the current tenant purchase scheme to include Part V agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53696/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 270 and 310 together.

The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants of local authority houses that are available for sale under the scheme. The scheme is underpinned by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015, as amended.

The Regulations provide for a number of specified classes of houses to be excluded from sale, including those provided to local authorities under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). The Part V provisions seek to promote social integration and secure mixed tenure, sustainable communities. Accordingly, Part V properties are excluded from the scheme to ensure the original policy goals of the legislation are not eroded over time and the properties remain available for people in need of social housing support.

The Act and Regulations which underpin the scheme do not specifically exclude social housing acquisitions and other social homes purchased from the private market from being sold under the scheme. That said, local authorities may within the rules of the scheme, exclude houses or groups of houses in the interest of proper management of the authority’s stock of housing accommodation. This gives local authorities the remit to develop their own policies as to which classes of house may be excluded from sale from the scheme, provided that these policies are consistent with the act and regulations which underpin the scheme.

My Department monitors schemes such as this on an ongoing basis to ensure that they remain effective and sustainable, however, there are no plans to amend this aspect of the scheme at this time.