Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 December 2019
310. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of applications for the home loan scheme received by South Dublin County Council; the number of applications approved; the number declined ; the number of applications that successfully drew down a loan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52010/19]
View answerThe Housing Agency provides a central support service which assesses applications for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan on behalf of local authorities and makes recommendations to the authorities to approve or refuse applications. Housing Agency recommendations are then considered by the Credit Committee in each local authority, which issues loan approvals.
Each local authority must have in place a Credit Committee and it is a matter for the Committee to make the final decision on applications for loans, in accordance with the regulations, and having regard to the recommendations made by the Housing Agency.
I have asked the Agency to compile figures on the numbers of applications that it has assessed and recommended to approve/decline for South Dublin County Council since the scheme began. In 2018, the Housing Agency assessed 214 valid applications. Of these, it recommended 112 for approval and 102 for decline. For 2019, as of end-November 2019, the Housing Agency have assessed 166 valid applications of which 86 have been recommended for approval and 80 recommended for decline.
My Department publishes information on the overall number and value of (i) local authority loan approvals and (ii) local authority loan drawdowns. Local authority approval means that an official letter of offer has been sent to a borrower (and therefore relates to a specific property and loan amount). Information on the RIHL for Quarter 2 2019, including in relation to the number and value of mortgage approvals and drawdowns and also average loan amounts 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.
