Written Answers Nos. 35-54
35. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he has reconsidered the proposal for a dynamic housing executive for the greater Dublin region in view of the low delivery of new social and affordable housing in the region and especially by Dublin City Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38910/18]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 258 of 26 September 2018, which sets out the position on this matter.
36. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the amount of funding paid to landlords through the housing assistance payment in the past year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39095/18]
View answerThe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is now available to all eligible households throughout the State. HAP plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At end Q2 2018, there were more than 37,700 households having their housing needs met via HAP and over 21,000 landlords and agents in receipt of HAP payments.
In respect of the provision of HAP funding, Limerick City and County Council provides a highly effective HAP transactional-shared service on behalf of all local authorities. This HAP Shared Services Centre (SSC) manages all HAP related rental transactions for the tenant, local authority and landlord. Accordingly, my Department does not recoup individual local authorities in respect of HAP rental payments in their administrative areas but rather recoups all landlord costs via the HAP SSC.
The amount of funding which has been paid to landlords for HAP tenancies for the past 12 months (1 September 2017 to 31 August 2018) is €295 million. The HAP scheme is funded through a combination of Exchequer monies and tenant differential rents collected in respect of HAP tenancies. It is important to note that the landlord payment combines the tenant contribution (differential rent paid) and the exchequer contribution.
Budget 2018 increased the Exchequer funding for the HAP scheme by €149m to €301 million. This will allow for the continued support of existing HAP households and also enable the additional 17,000 households targeted under Rebuilding Ireland to be supported by HAP in 2018.
37. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the financing arrangements envisioned in the delivery of social, affordable and market-priced housing on the first eight sites to be developed by the Land Development Agency. [39019/18]
View answer52. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the proposed projects that the Land Development Agency will enter into with private developers; the way in which an affordable home under such partnerships will be defined; and the estimated time it will take to build social and affordable homes in projects under the charge of the agency. [39090/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 52 together.
Along with my colleague the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, I signed the Establishment Order for the new Land Development Agency (LDA) on 13 September 2018. This Order was made under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971.
The Agency will act as a national centre of expertise, working with and supporting local authorities, public bodies and other interests, to harness public lands as catalysts to stimulate regeneration and wider investment and to achieve compact, sustainable growth, with a particular emphasis on complex regeneration projects and the provision of affordable housing.
The LDA has a number of financing options available to it, including direct funding by the LDA from its own capital, the deployment of third-party capital or a combination of both.
Significant preparatory work is required in relation to the initial portfolio of eight sites and as part of this process, funding structures will be devised on a case by case basis, taking account of the scale of each project, value for money for the State, risk and pace of delivery.
To enable more delivery of social and affordable homes on public lands, the Government has, in parallel with the establishment of the LDA, approved a new affordability requirement in relation to publicly owned lands, whereby a minimum of 30% of any housing developed must be reserved for affordable purposes in addition to the 10% statutory social housing requirement under Part V of the Planning and Development Act, whether such development is being progressed by the LDA or any other market operator. Furthermore, public bodies, such as local authorities and the Housing Agency, engaging with the LDA in relation to their lands will also be in a position to condition their release for development reflecting their own policy requirements.
Therefore, complying with the Government's new public lands affordability requirement above, the LDA will be capable of progressing a significant level of both Affordable Purchase Scheme based and cost rental-based projects on lands forming part of its portfolio of sites, working within the broader policy framework for the delivery of affordable housing set by the Government.
In line with the general internationally accepted principle that households should not be spending more than a third of their income on housing costs (e.g. rent or mortgage), and using similar maximum gross income thresholds to the new affordable scheme (i.e. €50,000 for single-income and €75,000 for two-income households), my Department is working with the LDA to ensure that it can deliver housing for both purchase and rental purposes within such parameters.
In relation to affordable homes for purchase, the Rebuilding Ireland Home loan sets a maximum value of homes that can be bought/built at €320,000 in the Greater Dublin Area, Cork and Galway cities, and €250,000 elsewhere in the country.
A maximum dual-income threshold under the new Affordable Purchase Scheme is set at €75,000 (which would enable a first-time buyer to afford repayments of around 35% of net income on a 90% LTV mortgage, using the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan, of around €285,000), enabling an overall maximum house purchase price of €320,000.
Analysis of projects supported under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund indicates that, on just under three-quarters of all 30 sites funded, there will be homes available to purchase for less than €320,000 (at today’s prices).
In relation to affordable rental delivery, my Department believes that, in line with the public lands affordability requirement mentioned above, the availability of such public lands at low or no cost to underpin cost rental projects, including those progressed by the LDA, would be capable of delivering rents at around 20% below comparable market rates in the area, but this will vary, depending on the development potential of a given site, costs of providing site infrastructure, etc.
In addition, the LDA will have to demonstrate and report on how it is meeting the policy requirements under Part V and the new public lands affordability requirement, using the range of relevant affordable schemes and mechanisms.
The LDA is in the process of commencing feasibility, planning and other preparatory works on its sites immediately, with construction envisaged to be commencing on the first homes in 2019 for delivery in 2020, with progress ramping up in line with an overall business plan which is also being advanced as a matter of urgency.
38. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his views on whether his Department's insistence on mixed tenure developments is having a negative consequence on the delivery of social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39096/18]
View answerThe scale and relevant tenure mix for new social housing developments are, in the first case, matters for the relevant local authority, whether those developments are contracted by the authorities themselves or by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) operating in their areas. Central guidance for housing developments is set out in my Department's publication 'Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities' which is available on my Department's website at the following link:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/migrated-files/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad%2C1979%2Cen.pdf .
This advises, inter alia, that good quality, sustainable housing development should be socially and environmentally appropriate, where the mix of dwelling type, size and tenure should support sound social, environmental and economic sustainability policy objectives and contribute to the integrated development of the areas in which they are located.
This guidance also recommends that in the case of social housing, the mix of dwellings should have regard to the need to achieve a balance in home types, sizes and tenure, but should be based primarily on the results of the most recent assessment of housing need and the characteristics of households likely to be accommodated in the scheme.
I consider that this guidance is appropriate and logical and will contribute to the long-term, sustainable development of communities. In applying this guidance, local authorities or AHBs are not prohibited from developing new schemes of any particular size where they are working within the guidance on sustainable communities. The current portfolio of projects under development includes a wide range of different sized schemes.
A key determinant of the scale of new social housing developments is the consideration of such proposals by elected members of local authorities, through the planning process. I hope that they will continue to support the advancement of such projects by their councils at the required speed and scale.
39. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the progress being made on reducing the social housing waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38907/18]
View answerUnder Rebuilding Ireland, a total of 50,000 social housing homes will be delivered through build, acquisition and leasing programmes. In addition to this, 87,000 additional households will be supported through the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme (HAP) and the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS).
The combination of 50,000 social housing homes and 87,000 HAP and RAS social housing supports, which are being funded by the Government in the period 2016 to 2021, means that over 137,000 long term and flexible options will be made available to those on housing waiting lists under Rebuilding Ireland.
The Government, working with the local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and other delivery agents, is already exceeding the delivery targets set for the first two years of Rebuilding Ireland. Of the combined target of 137,000 referred to above, just under 45,000 households have had their housing need met by the end of year 2 of the Rebuilding Ireland Plan – 33% of those targeted under the 6 year Plan as a whole.
In 2017, 25,901 households had their housing need met, with some 7,095 of these properties delivered through the build/acquisition and long-term leasing mechanisms.
Data relating to overall social housing delivery in 2017 and to end Q2 2018, across all local authorities, is published on my Department's website at the following link:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision.
In 2018, I expect to see at least 25,500 households having their housing need met. I have advised all local authorities of their minimum social housing targets across build, acquisition and lease both for 2018 and also for the multi-annual period to 2021, details of which can be accessed on the Rebuilding Ireland website at:
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-publishes-social-housing-delivery-targets-for-local-authorities-2018-2021/.
Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area are provided in the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA) which has been carried out on an annual basis since 2016. The results of each SSHA are available on my Department’s website and include breakdowns by each local authority across a range of categories. Full details in relation to the 2018 assessment are available on my Department's website at the following link
https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/summary_of_social_housing_assessments_2018_-_key_findings.pdf
This shows a decrease of 16.2% from SSHA 2017, with the number of qualified households recorded on local authority lists dropping from 85,799 in 2017 to 71,858 this year. This follows on from a reduction from 2016 into 2017, when the number of qualified households on local authority lists reduced from 91,600 to 85,799 a reduction of 6.3%. Overall, the progress made in the first two years of Rebuilding Ireland has resulted in the number of qualified households on local authority lists reducing by a cumulative 22%.
40. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the average length of time taken for each local authority to reallocate homes under their remit after they have been vacated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38906/18]
View answerMy Department does not keep data on turnaround times, from void to occupancy, for local authority dwellings. Statistics in relation to social housing are compiled by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in its annual reports on Performance Indicators in Local Authorities. These statistics are set out by local authority and include the average time from date of vacation of the dwelling to the date when a new occupancy had commenced, with the most recent report relating to 2016. This report is available on the NOAC website at the following link: http://noac.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2016-PI-Report.pdf.
41. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number and location of all properties conveyed by NAMA to Galway City and County councils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39087/18]
View answerThe National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) plays an important role in the delivery of social housing. To end June 2018, a total of 2,474 residential properties have been delivered for social housing providers comprising of 2,407 completed properties with a further 67 that have been contracted where completion work is on-going.
As at end June 2018, a total of 228 units across Galway City and County had been completed or contracted for delivery. These and other statistics are available on the website of the Housing Agency at the following link:
https://www.housingagency.ie/Housing/media/Media/Social%20Leasing%20Library/NAMA%20Status%20Reports/Breakdown-by-County-July-2018.pdf .
Details of the location of individual schemes involved may be obtained from individual local authorities directly.
42. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the amount of local authority-owned potential building lands available for local authority affordable housing in the greater Dublin area with particular reference to those counties immediately adjacent to Dublin; if a particular reason has emerged which might inhibit progress of a major house building campaign to meet the demands of the local authority waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39102/18]
View answerLocal authorities have a significant residential land bank that needs to be developed as soon as possible. In bringing forward proposals, the optimal tenure mix and most appropriate procurement approach are key issues in order to balance housing outcomes, while achieving value for money. The State residential landbank, incorporating lands in the ownership of the Housing Agency and local authorities, has been detailed and mapped and is available at
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/rebuilding-ireland-land-map/.
At this point, after a concerted effort across the Local Government sector, there is a significant social housing construction programme of more than 16,000 new homes, much of which is being delivered from this land bank. The latest quarterly Social Housing Construction Status Report can be accessed at the following link:
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-publishes-latest-social-housing-construction-report/.
The development of major local authority residential sites in Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area (GDA), where undersupply and affordability issues are being experienced most acutely, is a major priority for the Government. We are working with all local authorities in these areas, to see their sites brought forward as quickly as possible. It is of course, in the first instance, a matter for each local authority and its elected members to agree the optimal approach to development and financing.
In terms of affordable housing for purchase, sites can now be progressed in accordance with the provisions of Part V of the Housing Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2009, which are now commenced. Affordable housing for rental can be pursued under the cost rental option being piloted on two sites in the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and Dublin City Council areas.
To further support the delivery of affordable housing on such local authority sites, additional funding is being provided for enabling infrastructure via the Serviced Sites Fund. When local authority co-funding is included, an overall minimum investment of €100 million will be provided over the next four years to those sites that require infrastructural investment in order for them to be brought into use for affordable housing. At this point, applications for funding under the Serviced Sites Fund have been received in my Department and are currently being assessed.
43. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of likely local authority housing starts that can possibly take place in the next six months by county but with particular reference to those counties immediately adjacent to Dublin which are already heavily overburdened with applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39101/18]
View answerAll local authorities are being funded to significantly increase their delivery of social housing as part of Rebuilding Ireland and a strong social housing construction pipeline is already in place for local authorities and approved housing bodies.
A detailed breakdown of the construction programme of new social housing build is set out in the Social Housing Construction Status Report which is published on a quarterly basis. These reports provide information on the construction programme underway for each local authority area, including the counties adjacent to Dublin.
The report covering the period up to end Quarter 2 2018 is available on the Rebuilding Ireland website at the following link:
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-publishes-latest-social-housing-construction-report/ .
It provides project details of the social housing construction pipeline in place at that time for all local authorities, including those being delivered in partnership with approved housing bodies.
The report reflects an increase in the scale of the social housing build programme, with 1,067 schemes (or phases of schemes) in place, delivering 16,351 homes. Of this total, 3,518 units have already been delivered during 2016, 2017 and up to Q2 2018, while a further 4,602 are on site and under construction.
Almost 1,600 are at the final pre-construction stage and the remainder are progressing through the various stages of planning, design and procurement. It will be these schemes that will form the bulk of the housing starts and delivery over the course of the next 6 months and beyond, although further projects will continue to be added to the pipeline on an ongoing basis.
The timing, delivery and tenanting of schemes is a matter in the first place for each local authority. I am pleased to see the progress being made on projects building on what has been already delivered, but I am keen that all local authorities further accelerate their programmes and I have assured them that the necessary funding is available to support their work in this regard.
44. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to increase the income eligibility limits for social housing particularly in areas such as counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38953/18]
View answer53. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the review of income eligibility limits for social housing will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38952/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 44 and 53 together.
The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands according to the area, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy.
The income bands and the authority area assigned to each band were based on an assessment of the income needed to provide for a household's basic needs, plus a comparative analysis of the local rental cost of housing accommodation across the country. It is important to note that the limits introduced at that time also reflected a blanket increase of €5,000 introduced prior to the new system coming into operation, in order to broaden the base from which social housing tenants are drawn, both promoting sustainable communities and also providing a degree of future-proofing.
As part of the broader social housing reform agenda, a review of income eligibility for social housing supports is underway. The Housing Agency is carrying out the detailed statistical work which will underpin this review on behalf of my Department.
The review will obviously have regard to current initiatives being brought forward in terms of affordability and cost rental and will be completed when the impacts of these parallel initiatives have been considered.
45. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if families whose homes are affected by mica in County Donegal will receive at least the same redress as those families whose homes were affected by pyrite; when a redress scheme will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38913/18]
View answerThe Expert Panel on Concrete Blocks was established by my Department in 2016, to investigate problems that have emerged in the concrete blockwork of certain dwellings in Counties Donegal and Mayo.
The Panel had the following terms of reference:
(i) To identify, insofar as it is possible, the numbers of private dwellings which appear to be affected by defects in the blockwork in the Counties of Donegal and Mayo;
(ii) To carry out a desktop study, which would include a consultation process with affected homeowners, public representatives, local authorities, product manufacturers, building professionals, testing laboratories, industry stakeholders and other relevant parties, to establish the nature of the problem in the affected dwellings;
(iii) To outline a range of technical options for remediation and the means by which those technical options could be applied; and
(iv)To submit a report within six months.
On 13 June 2017, the report of the Expert Panel was published and included eight recommendations which my Department is actively progressing with the relevant stakeholders, prioritising the implementation of Recommendations 1 and 2.
With regard to Recommendation 1, the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) Technical Committee, established to scope and fast track the development of a standardised protocol, held its inaugural meeting on 11 September 2017 and has held several further meetings since. The standardised protocol will inform the course of action in relation to remedial works for all affected householders. The draft standard was published on 6 June 2018 for public consultation and ran for a period of six weeks to 18 July 2018. The Technical Committee are currently in the process of considering the submissions received with a view to publishing the final standardised protocol shortly.
The draft standard, I.S. 465 - Assessment, testing and categorisation of damaged buildings incorporating concrete blocks containing certain deleterious materials , outlines a protocol which will be used to assess and categorise the damage in properties where the concrete blocks are suspected to contain the minerals mica or pyrite. Previously, there was no common way for engineers or homeowners to assess the damage caused by defective concrete blocks to help decide what, if any, remedial work could be carried out.
This standard:
1. establishes a protocol for assessing and determining whether a building has been damaged by concrete blocks containing certain excessive amounts of deleterious materials (free or unbound muscovite mica, or aggregate with potentially deleterious quantities of pyrite);
2. describes methods for establishing the extent of the problem;
3. describes the scope of any testing required; and
4. categorises buildings, in accordance with this Standard, providing competent persons with guidance on the appropriate measures to be taken.
With regard to Recommendation 2, my Department has been in contact with Engineers Ireland in relation to the establishment of a register of competent engineers for homeowners/affected parties’ reference. Engineers Ireland has provided assurance that they will collaborate with the Department, the NSAI and others on measures to establish such a register once the standardised protocol is in place.
Last year, I visited Donegal and Mayo and met with key stakeholders, including affected homeowners, elected members and officials of the local authorities and other interested parties. On 18 December 2017, I again visited Donegal and met with key stakeholders to provide an update on the progress to date. I made a similar visit to Mayo on 26 January 2018 and again to Donegal on 13 July 2018.
I will be in a position to provide a further update following the publication of the standardised protocol in the coming weeks.
46. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of privately owned homes brought back into use as a result of the vacant homes strategy of Rebuilding Ireland; his plans to amend the incentives and penalties to encourage more owners of empty dwellings to provide them for housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38904/18]
View answerThe National Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy, which I published in July, contains a range of objectives and key actions which will be pursued in partnership with stakeholders and agencies across the housing sector to address vacancy in our housing stock. It draws together all of the strands of ongoing work in one document with a clear vision for progressing the return of vacant homes to use over the next few years.
The Strategy acts as an overarching roadmap and a focal point for the co-ordination and implementation of initiatives right across Government to ensure that we are using our existing housing stock to the fullest extent possible, aiming to return as many recoverable vacant properties back to viable use as possible, increasing the supply of sustainable housing, while also revitalising the vibrancy of local communities.
While the Strategy has only recently been published, my Department and local authorities have already been very proactive in dealing with vacant properties and there are a number of schemes available to incentivise the return of suitable dwellings into the liveable housing stock.
We are regularly considering new and improved ways of reducing the number of vacant residential dwellings. While the initial national roll-out of the innovative Repair and Lease Scheme did not yield the level of response hoped for, improvements have been made to the scheme with the intention of increasing interest from those who wish to bring their vacant property back into use. We will continue to review all initiatives with a view to offering the best incentives to those who wish to bring homes back into use.
In tandem with the incentives and schemes available centrally, the website www.vacanthomes.ie was developed by Mayo County Council in July 2017 on behalf of the local government sector to serve as a central portal for individuals to anonymously log possible vacant homes and alert local authorities so that they can follow up with the registered owners, with a view to ascertaining the potential for bringing these homes into productive use for residential purposes.
The latest statistics from the site indicate that in excess of 2,000 properties have been registered as vacant to date, with the breakdown by province being Leinster 53%, Munster 30%, Connaught 14% and Ulster 3%. Mayo County Council has informed my Department that it is also getting increased interest from property owners in relation to the updated Repair and Lease Scheme.
Local authorities have been asked to provide information regarding vacancy to the Department's Vacant Homes Unit on a quarterly basis, with material due to be submitted shortly, which will allow for further analysis of the work being undertaken at a local level in respect of vacant residential property.
The analysis undertaken by the Central Statistics Office on the number of houses connected to the ESB grid also provides some useful information on the number of vacant dwellings that have been reconnected after two or more years. The CSO’s latest data for Q2 2018 shows that since the start of 2016, over 6,400 vacant homes have been brought back into use across the country, adding to the significantly increasing number of new homes connected to the grid for the first time. The full data is available on the CSO website at the following link:
https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/ndc/newdwellingcompletionsq22018/.
47. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the timelines for completion of regional planning strategies under the regional spatial and economic strategies; the way in which they will implement with population targets in the national development plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39093/18]
View answerThe National Planning Framework (NPF), published together with the National Development Plan (NDP) as part of Project Ireland 2040 earlier this year, is intended to provide the strategic context for future planning, development and investment over the next two decades. In addition, the NPF represents a long-term strategy for Government Departments, State agencies, State-owned enterprises, regional and local authorities and others to support communities to achieve their potential for economic, social and infrastructural development through a shared set of strategic objectives and key principles.
As a strategic document, the NPF is currently being given further and more detailed expression at the regional level through preparation, by the Regional Assemblies, of statutory Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSESs) for the three Regional Assembly areas. The RSES process formally commenced earlier this year and draft Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies are currently in preparation for public consultation later in the Autumn.
The finalisation of these regional strategies in the first half of 2019 will in turn prompt reviews and updates of individual county and city development plans to ensure strategic co-ordination and consistency between national, regional and local levels.
To assist in the preparation of these important plans, my Department published the Implementation Roadmap for the National Planning Framework in July 2018. Appendix 2 of this document provides details on transitional regional and county population projections for 2026 and 2031.
These projections take account of the fact that, cumulatively, current city and county plans are based on post-2006 population projections and provide for a quantum of significantly greater population growth than previously occurred and that also exceeds any likely scenario identified as part of the NPF/NDP preparation process.
The transitional regional and county population projections provided in the Roadmap set a growth trajectory approximately mid-way between what is currently proposed for in statutory development plans and a more evidence-based nationally coherent scenario to 2031 and 2040.
The Implementation Roadmap is available to view on my Department's website at the following link:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/search/archived/current?query=Circular+FPS+04%2F2018 .
The RSES process, and the subsequent individual county/city development plan reviews, must address the growth of each region in accordance with the overall parameters set out in the NPF. The transitional population projections provided in the Roadmap are part of these parameters. The review process is intended to strengthen the settlement strategy within counties in light of more relevant and updated population projections whereby towns with capacity will be enabled to continue their logical planned growth within a coordinated county-wide strategy.
Regional and local decision-making at the appropriate level is also provided for through the approach above to shape how the development of all parts of the country can be assured and guided through to 2040, including in the matter of ensuring that housing is provided at appropriate locations across the country and in line with infrastructural and service availability in place and planned for those locations.
48. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if an explanation was sought from the relevant local authority CEOs or the Housing Agency as to the reason only 2,717 units were taken up by county councils when a total of 6,984 social housing units were offered to their sector by NAMA. [39009/18]
View answerAt the end of June 2018, a total of 6,984 residential properties had been identified by NAMA as potentially available for social housing.
Local authorities, together with the Housing Agency and my Department, have worked systematically through the full list of units with NAMA to determine if there is a social housing demand for the properties identified as potentially suitable for social housing. As part of the process the Housing Agency has been liaising and in direct contact with all the relevant local authorities to discuss the demand requirements and to co-ordinate the response to NAMA. Where a demand is identified, this information is provided to NAMA and efforts are made to secure as many of the suitable properties as possible for social housing. This process is ongoing and demand has been confirmed by the local authorities for 2,717 of the properties to end June 2018.
The properties under consideration are part of the security for loans that NAMA has acquired. In the majority of cases, properties remain in the ownership of the original borrowers. The remaining properties are controlled by receivers appointed by NAMA. Once a demand has been identified, NAMA makes contact with the relevant property owner/receiver to determine if the properties are still available and to discuss how these properties can be best utilised.
2,424 of the properties have been notified by local authorities to the Housing Agency as unsuitable by reference to sustainable planning and housing policy or are located in areas with no demand. A further 1,843 properties have been sold or privately let by the owners or receivers.
To date, a total of 2,474 residential properties have been delivered for social housing providers comprising of 2,407 completed properties with a further 67 that have been contracted where completion work is on-going.
Of the units declined, in the majority of cases it was because of the need to avoid over concentration of social housing units, either directly within an estate or within the wider geographic area, potentially isolated from the main urban centres.
In many cases, where larger numbers of units were offered, local authorities indicated demand for a lesser, more sustainable number than that offered and all stakeholders endeavoured to facilitate this. Units may have also been in unfinished developments outside of urban centres without infrastructural or community supports.
Although the majority of properties were declined on the basis of local demand or sustainable communities, a small number of properties were declined on the basis that they were not suitable for social housing, either by virtue of the nature of the development, e.g. holiday home type developments, or the units were in areas of exceptionally high market rents or required high management service charges and therefore were not financially viable to be acquired or leased for social housing purposes.
While NAMA, together with the Housing Agency, actively monitor activity related to units that may have been declined and which may still be available, the consultative process undertaken with local authorities to date has been considerable.
Transparency around the NAMA Social Housing process is ensured through regular updates to the websites of the Housing Agency and NAMA. The following link provides detailed data in this regard, broken down by local authority across a range of categories:
https://www.housingagency.ie/Our-Services/Housing-Supply-Services/NAMA.aspx .
49. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of approvals granted under the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme; his plans to modify the deposit requirement particularly in circumstances in which applicants can show that they have been paying high rents for an appropriate period of time prior to their application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38905/18]
View answerAs with the previous local authority home loan offerings, loan applications under the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan are made directly to the local authority in whose area the property proposed for purchase is situated.
My Department will continue to publish information on the overall number and value of (i) local authority loan approvals and (ii) local authority loan drawdowns. Information up to Q4 2017 is available on the Department's website at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/house-prices-loans-and-profile-borrowers/local-authority-loan-activity .
This information will be updated on a quarterly basis as additional data is compiled.
In addition, the Housing Agency provides a central support service which assesses loan applications that are made to the local authorities and makes recommendations to the authorities as to whether loans should be offered to applicants. I have asked the Agency to centrally compile figures on the numbers of applications that it has assessed; the most recent figures, as at the end of August, indicate that the Agency had received a total of 2,628 applications for assessment from local authorities, of which 2,074 were deemed to be valid. Of these valid applications, 1,989 had been assessed and 1,024 of these (51%) had been recommended for approval.
Each local authority must have in place a credit committee and it is a matter for the committee to make the decision on applications for loans, in accordance with the regulations, having regard to the recommendations made by the Housing Agency.
To support prudential lending and consistency of treatment for borrowers, a Loan to Value ratio of 90% applies to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan as per the Central Bank's prudential lending guidelines. Therefore, in order to avail of the loan, applicants must have a deposit equivalent to 10% of the market value of the property, and there are no plans to change this requirement.
Applicants must provide bank or similar statements (such as post office, credit union etc.) for a 12-month period immediately prior to making an application, clearly showing a credible and consistent track record of savings. The cash savings should be no less than 3% of the market value of the property. Credit committees may, under certain limited circumstances, permit exceptions to this where the applicant or applicants can demonstrate credible rent payments through their bank account.
For prospective purchasers of newly built properties, the availability of the Help to Buy Initiative for first-time buyers through the Revenue Commissioners may provide additional assistance to prospective applicants for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan.
50. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of local authority new builds to be completed and ready for occupation by the end of 2018, by local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38909/18]
View answerI have advised all local authorities of their minimum social housing targets across build, acquisition and lease both for 2018 and also for the multi-annual period to 2021. Details of the targets for each local authority can be accessed on the Rebuilding Ireland website at the following link:
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-publishes-social-housing-delivery-targets-for-local-authorities-2018-2021/.
The 2018 build target is for the delivery of almost 5,000 additional active social housing homes, including the construction of 3,800 new homes by local authorities and approved housing bodies. A strong pipeline is already in place for local authorities and approved housing bodies to deliver on these targets.
A detailed breakdown of the construction programme of new social housing build is set out in the Social Housing Construction Status Report which is published on a quarterly basis. The report covering the period up to end Quarter 2 2018 is available on the Rebuilding Ireland website at the following link:
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-publishes-latest-social-housing-construction-report/.
It provides project details of the social housing construction pipeline in place for all local authorities, including those being delivered in partnership with approved housing bodies. The tenanting of these schemes is a matter in the first place for each local authority.
I am pleased to see the continued progress with new projects, building on what has been already delivered. I am keen, however, that all local authorities further accelerate their programmes and I have assured them that the necessary funding to support their activity is available.
51. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the measures he plans to take to deal with the widespread breaching of rent increases in rent pressure zones; and if his Department is independently investigating such breeches or monitoring the levels of rent increases in these zones. [39091/18]
View answerIn April 2018, the Government approved the priority drafting of a new Bill to amend the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2016 to enhance the powers of the RTB to protect both tenants and landlords in the residential rental sector, particularly with regard to enforcement of the annual rent increase limit in Rent Pressure Zones.
This Bill's provisions are intended to strengthen further the effectiveness of the rent setting and rent review laws by empowering the RTB to investigate any contravention of the law around rent increase limits (4% per annum) in Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) and to take enforcement action, if necessary. The provisions involved include power for the imposition of sanctions on landlords in breach of the legal requirements and power for the RTB to investigate without the need for a complaint to be made.
My Department is working closely with the RTB to appropriately resource and develop its capacity to implement tenancy law. The proposed new powers for the RTB are a crucial first step in expanding its overall role and function as part of a multi-annual change management programme to proactively enforce tenancy law. The RTB publishes its quarterly Rent Index and advises my Department on the residential rental market on a continuous basis which informs policy development in this area.
My Department is working closely with the Office of the Attorney General in the drafting of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill and I hope to bring the Bill to Government in the coming weeks for approval to publish.
54. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of units due to be provided under the serviced sites fund in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38899/18]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No 5 on today's Order Paper which sets out the position in relation to this matter.
