Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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93. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when a 2026 allocation for acquisitions to prevent homelessness will be made by his Department to Westmeath County Council. [6751/26]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I expect the parameters of the 2026 Second Hand Acquisitions Programme to be notified to individual local authorities in Q1 this year.

Local authorities have been authorised to enter into commitments for 2026 up to a value of 30% of their original 2025 acquisitions budget. This flexibility effectively provides for a multi-annual approach to programme delivery, facilitating local authorities to plan and progress acquisitions between annual programmes, and from one year to the next, with a higher level of certainty vis-à-vis future funding availability.

In the meantime, my Department will continue to engage with individual local authorities as needed regarding the 2025 programme, to inform learnings for the 2026 programme, and to ensure local authorities continue progressing acquisitions pending rollout of the full details of the 2026 Second Hand Acquisitions Programme.