I propose to take Questions Nos. 1408 and 1409 together.
My Department does not collect data in relation to the numbers of applications for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan (RIHL) that are currently with local authorities. Data is collected by my Department on a quarterly basis from local authorities with regard to the overall number and value of (i) local authority loan approvals and (ii) local authority loan drawdowns. Information up to Q3 2018, including in relation to number and value of mortgage drawdowns, is available on the Department's website at the following link: www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/house-prices-loans-and-profile-borrowers/local-authority-loan-activity, and this information is updated on a quarterly basis as additional data is compiled.
The Housing Agency provides a central support service, which assesses applications for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan on behalf of the local authorities and makes recommendations to the authorities to approve or refuse applications.
Last year, I asked the Agency to compile figures on its processing of applications, which includes the number of applications they have assessed and subsequently recommended to approve for individual local authorities on a month-by-month basis. These were available from September 2018 onwards, with the most recent data available as of the end of February 2019.
The relevant data for Cork City and County Councils are set out in the following tables:
Cork City Council
Month
|
Applications Assessed (Cumulative)
|
Applications Recommended to Approve (Cumulative)
|
September
|
77
|
37
|
October
|
87
|
43
|
November
|
101
|
51
|
December
|
101
|
53
|
January
|
112
|
56
|
February
|
125
|
63
|
Cork County Council
Month
|
Applications Assessed (Cumulative)
|
Applications Recommended to Approve (Cumulative)
|
September
|
169
|
93
|
October
|
196
|
104
|
November
|
222
|
118
|
December
|
222
|
133
|
January
|
262
|
145
|
February
|
282
|
159
|