Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 May 2020
1048. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the breakdown of the 2,772 acquired social houses in 2019 by local authority; the average price paid or approved by his Department for each local authority area; and the breakdown of the properties in terms of those purchased with a tenant in situ and those purchased vacant. [7401/20]
View answer1049. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of the 2,772 social housing acquisitions by local authorities in 2019 that resulted in the issuing of a notice to quit to a sitting tenant as a result of the purchase. [7402/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1048 and 1049 together.
My Department provides funding to local authorities to acquire a range of properties for social housing use. Identifying and undertaking such social housing acquisitions is largely delegated to local authorities, so that they may respond flexibly to all opportunities to provide new social housing. As the housing authority for its area, it is a matter for each local authority, in the first instance, to determine the suitability of any units for acquisition.
A breakdown by local authority area of the 2,772 social homes delivered through local authority and approved housing body acquisitions in 2019, is available on my Department's website at the following link: https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/social_housing_delivery_by_local_authority_2019.xlsx. While statistics have been collated in relation to delivery, a unit cost analysis across individual programmes for 2019 has not yet been completed.
My Department does not hold specific data from local authorities and approved housing bodies on whether individual properties they acquire are vacant or whether a 'notice to quit' has arisen. However, the normal approach is to acquire properties with vacant possession (indeed, by way of example, the Housing Agency Acquisitions Fund is specifically targeted at such properties on the portfolios of financial institutions); in rare situations where a property is acquired with a sitting tenant, it would generally involve a social housing tenant where the tenancy will be maintained.
