Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2020
1070. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the amount of take-up of the enhanced long-term leasing scheme in County Kildare since it was announced; the problems which have been encountered nationally with the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11127/20]
View answerA range of housing options are necessary to ensure a supply of accommodation to meet different types of social housing need. Harnessing the off-balance sheet potential of private investment in social housing is an important objective of the Government, and the social housing targets that are set out in Rebuilding Ireland over the period to 2021 reflect the ambition in that regard.
My Department has introduced the Enhanced Long Term Social Housing Leasing Scheme in order to target newly built or yet to be built houses and apartments for long term leasing, and to target property developers and investors who are in a position to deliver housing at a reasonable scale in order to supplement delivery under Pillar 2 of Rebuilding Ireland. The Scheme has generated significant interest since its inception and is now fully open.
The first call for proposals for the Enhanced Leasing Scheme was open from January to April 2018 and a total of 33 submissions were received. The second call for proposals closed on 25th October 2018 and a total of 22 submissions were received. The first Agreement for Lease and Leases proper were signed in 2019, with the first units delivered in Q4 2019.
The majority of the proposals submitted during the first and second calls for proposals failed to meet the minimum qualifying criteria as set out in the scheme documents and thus could not proceed tocontract stage. This includes 8 proposals in respect of sites in County Kildare. The scheme documents and the qualifying criteria are available on the following link: www.housingagency.ie/housing-information/information-property-owners-and-landlords.
To date, no units have been delivered or contracted in Kildare.
