Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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251. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if funding announced in Budget 2026 for second-hand acquisitions includes the tenant-in-situ scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56107/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Funding for the Second Hand Acquisitions Programme will be agreed later this year, with individual local authority allocations notified to local authorities as soon possible thereafter.

That said, I expect the 2026 programme to maintain support for tenant in situ acquisitions as a last resort policy tool available to local authorities to prevent social housing supported households in the private rental sector from becoming homeless.

Indeed, local authorities have recently been authorised to enter into commitments for 2026 to a value of up to 30% of their original 2025 acquisitions budget. This allows them commit, pending an agreed programme budget for next year, some €95 million extra in 2025 for acquisitions that will complete and draw down in 2026. This includes acquisitions to support exits from homelessness, tenancy sustainment via tenant in situ, and other priority cohorts such older persons, persons with disabilities, care leavers, etc. This flexibility effectively provides for a multi-annual approach to programme delivery, facilitating local authorities to plan and progress acquisitions from one year to the next with a higher level of certainty vis-à-vis future funding availability.