Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

1061. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funds allocated for counties Wicklow and Wexford for the tenant-in-situ scheme for 2026; in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58900/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Funding for the Second Hand Acquisitions Programme will be agreed later this year, with individual 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.

In the meantime, local authorities have 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.

For Wicklow and Wexford County Councils, this provides scope for both to commit €1.8 million each to acquisitions that are likely to only complete and drawdown in 2026. This includes acquisitions to support exits from homelessness, tenancy sustainment via tenant in situ, and other priority cohorts such as 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.