Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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311. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the changes he is currently bringing forward or intends to bring forward arising from the approved housing body strategic review, in tabular form. [23318/26]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Report of the Approved Housing Body Strategic Forum (AHBSF) was published on 13 November 2025 alongside the National Housing Plan; Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025–2030.

This report represents the most detailed examination ever undertaken by the State of the AHB sector and outlines an ambitious transformative vision and a detailed roadmap of eight interlinked policy development reforms.

Progress against these reforms over the period of the National Housing Plan would enhance the positive impact of AHBs, address immediate sectoral challenges and support the transformation towards a more resilient, effective and efficient sector.

The report has been very well received by both the sector and key stakeholders, and there is broad support for advancing the policy development reform programme outlined in the report so that the sector can continue to play its role as a key delivery partner in meeting the ambitions outlined under the new National Housing Plan.

The AHBSF process has yielded a set of eight interlinked and mutually reinforcing recommendations for policy development reform, which seek to strengthen the sector, and enable the sector to realise the Vision set out in the report, over the decade ahead.

The programme of policy development reform is well underway and will continue for the lifetime of the National Housing Plan. My officials are formalising regular engagement with sectoral representative bodies and other key stakeholders, to advance quick win reforms and the advancement of structural reform proposals.

A number of early, tangible outcomes have already been achieved or are advancing at pace. For example, following engagement with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, a suite of enhanced SEAI grant supports has been secured for the AHB sector, with potential funding of approximately 90% of the cost of retrofit projects.

A number of the more structural reforms will, by their nature, require careful and sequenced policy development. Critical foundational work is underway to build the evidence base necessary to underpin these reforms. For instance, an AHB Sectoral Census is currently being scoped in conjunction with the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority, the Housing Agency and my Department, which will provide for the first time a single, authoritative source of information on the status of the sector. This census will be essential in informing proposals on a range of policy reforms for the AHB sector. Similarly, the development of proposals for sectoral consolidation, including the establishment of an AHB Restructuring Body and Sector Sustainability Fund, requires detailed analysis of contingent liabilities, governance structures and organisational capacity across the sector.

As these proposals mature, I intend to return to Government at regular intervals throughout the period of the National Housing Plan to seek support for the structural reforms.