Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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465. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will examine introducing stronger statutory safeguards for residential property bidding, including requirements to verify the identity and purchasing capacity of bidders, greater transparency and auditability of online bidding platforms, and measures to ensure that advertised guide prices represent a genuine evidence-based estimate of expected selling value; and if he will consider establishing a centralised or independently auditable bidding register to address concerns regarding phantom bids, unverified bidding and significant discrepancies between asking and eventual sale prices. [68031/26]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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House auction bidding is regulated primarily through the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PRSA), which licenses and regulates auctioneers and estate agents, and by the bidding process rules followed by licensed firms, including requirements for proof of funds, bid recording, and transparent handling of offers.

The PSRA’s remit in oversight of licensed estate agents is to ensure agents operate in compliance with the legislation and ensure transparency in engaging with both their clients and potential purchasers. Where licensed agents fail to comply with the respective legislation, the PSRA may investigate complaints received, or open an investigation of its own volition.

Under Regulation 15 of the Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011 (Minimum Standards) Regulations 2020, which deals with offers to purchase property by private treaty, Property Services Providers (PSPs) must:

- bring all offers received in respect of a private treaty sale to their client (unless their client has instructed otherwise);

- acknowledge receipt of all offers in writing;

- not imply to any person including their client that an offer has been received, if this is not the case; and

- notify their client if the PSP themselves is making an offer, or if an offer has been made by someone else within the licensed business, or if the person making an offer is related to the PSP or anyone else within the licensed business.

Section 55 of the Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011 provides that a PSP must give an advised market value for land, where requested by a vendor. Section 56 states that the PSP cannot advertise the land for sale at a price less than the advised market value provided under Section 55 unless the vendor requests it to be adjusted.

I have asked my Departmental to examine the current bidding process in the Irish context and also to compare it to what takes place in other jurisdictions. This will inform work going forward on this area.

Gillian Toole (Meath East, Independent)
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466. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the consideration being given to the payment of Housing Assistance Payment to parents or guardians of an adult with a disability, who may own a second property that could be adapted if necessary & lived in by their family member, with appropriately matched additional occupants with a disability, thereby removing them earlier from lengthy Local Authority social housing lists. [68070/26]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme is deemed to be a social housing support under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014. As a long term housing support, an assessment of housing need must be completed in order for a household to qualify for HAP. Any household with an identified housing need is eligible for HAP.

In order for housing assistance to be provided under the Act the housing authority must be satisfied that the tenancy concerned is or would be a tenancy in good faith. Where there is a family relationship between the tenant and the landlord, the housing authority may seek evidence of a previous landlord and tenant relationship in respect of the property. This evidence may include:

• Proof of rent payments;
• A lease or tenancy agreement for the property; and
• Registration of the tenancy with the Residential Tenancies Board.

HAP support is available to tenants in rent a room scheme arrangements; however, the rental of a room to a civil partner, son or daughter are excluded from this scheme. HAP cannot be paid where the tenant is seeking to rent within the family home, including the curtilage of the family home. HAP payments cannot be paid on homes that are acquired by family members solely to provide a housing solution to a particular HAP applicant or member of their household. A property should not be purchased for the sole purpose of obtaining HAP.

Disabled people can access social housing support through all of the available routes, namely, standard local authority housing, Rental Assistance Scheme, Approved Housing Bodies and the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme.

Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. Regulation 23 of the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 sets out the aspects of a household's current accommodation to which the authority will have regard when determining a household's need for social housing support, which include the extent to which it meets any accommodation requirement arising from the enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual impairment of a household member. The allocation of dwellings to qualified households is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with their allocation scheme made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations.

My Department jointly published the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People (NHSDP) 2022-2027 and Implementation Plan with the Department of Health and the Department of Children, Disability, and Equality. The Strategy and Implementation Plan may be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/60d76-national-housing-strategy-for-disabled-people-2022-2027/.