Written Answers Nos. 613-629
613. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the level of engagement he has had with businesses that will be impacted by the restrictions on cutting horticultural peat; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39319/21]
View answerI have neither statutory nor Ministerial responsibility for the harvesting or supply of horticultural peat. To assist in addressing the question of horticultural peat for domestic purposes, I have established a working group under an independent chairman, Dr. Munoo Prasad, to examine the issues which had been identified during the Review of the use of Peat Moss in the Horticultural Industry. It is comprised of representatives of the relevant Government Departments, State Bodies, and Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations and of various sectors within the horticultural industry.
The working group has already held a number of meetings. The legislative provisions in relation to horticultural peat extraction and the potential of alternatives to the use of peat moss in the horticultural industry has been discussed at these meetings.
An Interim Report with regard to the current shortage of peat in the Horticulture Industry has been received and is under review. A final report of the Working Group is due by the end of September 2021. The final report is expected to identify possible alternatives to peat and to outline the research required to produce commercially effective alternatives for use in the Horticulture sector.
614. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the timeline for works at an estate (details supplied); when completion of this project is expected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39328/21]
View answerThe social housing project referred to in the question is being advanced by Galway County Council with funding support from my Department under the Social Housing Investment Programme. I understand that the Council received planning permission for the development from An Bord Pleanála on 26th April 2021.
I look forward therefore, to receiving their pre-tender proposal as soon as possible. Thereafter the timing of the tender process, the appointment of contractors and the completion of the project will be matters for the Council but I am anxious that it is swiftly advanced and I have assured all local authorities that funding is available to support all their social housing delivery projects. Further specific information on the advancement of this project should be available directly from Galway County Council.
615. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will request the National Parks and Wildlife Service to meet and engage with a group (details supplied) to discuss the way the restoration of a sign can be completed in line with best practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39348/21]
View answerNational Parks and Wildlife Service, North Eastern Regional Management of my Department is, and has at all times been available to discuss with the EIRE 6 Restoration Group, any proposal it may have for the remediation of certain works previously carried out on the EIRE 6 sign. Regional Management is also available to discuss any proposal by the group to carry out restoration of the sign, subject to the requirements of the EU Habitats Directive.
616. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a housing passport which could allow inter-transfers between local authorities as outlined in the Social Housing Strategy 2020 has been introduced; and if not, when same will be introduced. [39376/21]
View answerThe examination of a social housing passport as a means of allowing those with a housing need assessed in one local authority to be housed in or transferred to another local authority's functional area was, as referred to by the Deputy, part of the Social Housing Strategy 2020. A similar measure has been included in the Programme for Government as part of a package of social housing reform measures.
It should be noted that the four Dublin local authorities already co-operate in arrangements that enable social housing applicants to apply for housing in one or two of the other Dublin authorities simultaneously. Similar arrangements apply in the two Cork and two Galway local authorities. It is also already possible for households to move and relocate between housing authority areas under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme where the household income is within the appropriate income limits.
The issue of providing for wider tenancy movements is being examined and I will look at proposals in relation to such wider movement along with the other reform package measures.
617. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the review of the incremental tenant purchase scheme will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39378/21]
View answerThe Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing support for at least one year.
A review of the first 12 months of the Scheme’s operation has been undertaken. In addition, the Programme for Government commits to maintaining the right of social housing tenants to purchase their own home with some changes to eligibility. The review and the commitments in the Programme for Government are being examined as part of the work on the broader social housing reform agenda. I expect to be in a position to finalise changes to the Scheme once the work on these reform measures is complete.
618. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a review of the HAP and homeless HAP rates payable for County Wicklow will be undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39379/21]
View answerIncreased rent limits for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and the Rent Supplement Scheme were introduced in 2016. These limits were agreed in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection (DSP). In reviewing the rent limits, my Department worked closely with DSP and monitored data gathered from the Residential Tenancies Board and the HAP Shared Services Centre. The HAP rent limits were increased significantly, in the order of 60% in some cases.
Maximum rent limits for the HAP scheme are set out for each housing authority area by the Housing Assistance Payment (Amendment) Regulations 2017. The current maximum HAP rent limits are available on the Irish Statute Book website at the following link:
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2017/si/56/made/en/print?q=housing&years=2017.
Local authorities also have discretion, because of local rental market conditions, to exceed the maximum rent limit by up to 20%, or up to 50% in the Dublin region for those households either in, or at immediate risk of homelessness. It should be noted that it is a matter for the local authority to determine whether the application of the flexibility is warranted on a case by case basis and also the level of additional discretion applied in each case.
At end Q1 2021, 52.2% of the total number of households being supported by HAP were benefiting from the additional flexibility. When the additional discretion available to homeless households in the Dublin region is removed, 46.4% of households nationally were benefiting from the additional flexibility. In those cases, the average rate of discretionary payment being used was 17.1% above rent limits provided. This increases to 23.5% when the Dublin region homeless area data is included. Wicklow County Council used discretion in 31.4% of HAP tenancies and the average level of discretion applied by Wicklow County Council was 16.8%.
In considering this issue, I am conscious that increasing the current HAP rent limits could have negative inflationary impacts, leading to a detrimental impact on the wider rental market, including for those households who are not receiving HAP support.
My Department closely monitors the level of discretion being used by local authorities, taking into account other sources of data, including Residential Tenancies Board rent data published on a quarterly basis. It is considered that the current maximum rent limits, together with the additional flexibility available to local authorities, are generally adequate to support the effective operation of the HAP scheme.
The Programme for Government commits to ensuring that HAP levels are adequate to support vulnerable households, while we increase the supply of social housing. My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review.
619. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current stage at which the review for the social housing income limits is at; and when an announcement will be made in relation to same. [39380/21]
View answerApplications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended.
The 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands according to the area concerned, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. The 2011 Regulations do not provide local authorities with any discretion to exceed the limits that apply to their administrative areas.
Under the Household Means Policy, which applies in all local authorities, net income for social housing assessment is defined as gross household income less income tax, PRSI, Universal Social Charge and Additional Superannuation Contribution. The Policy provides for a range of income disregards, and local authorities also have discretion to decide to disregard income that is temporary, short-term or once-off in nature.
A table setting out the details of the three bands and the limits currently applicable in each local authority area is available on the Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/04c69-social-housing-support-table-of-income-limits/
The income bands are expressed in terms of a maximum net income threshold for a single-person household, with an allowance of 5% for each additional adult household member, subject to a maximum allowance under this category of 10% and separately a 2.5% allowance for each child.
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 in 2011 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.
Given the cost to the State of providing social housing, it is considered prudent and fair to direct resources to those most in need of social housing support. The current income eligibility requirements generally achieve this, providing for a fair and equitable system of identifying those households facing the greatest challenge in meeting their accommodation needs from their own resources.
However, as part of the broader social housing reform agenda, a review of income eligibility for social housing supports in each local authority area is underway. The review will have regard to current initiatives being brought forward in terms of affordable housing both for purchase and for cost rental and will be completed when the impacts of these parallel initiatives have been considered.
620. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports that are available for families that are privately renting that receive a notice to quit and are above the income threshold for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39381/21]
View answerThe Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021 provide that where a tenant has been in occupation of a dwelling for a continuous period of 6 months, with no valid notice of termination having been served during that time, a 'Part 4 tenancy' is established to cover the next 5 years and 6 months.
Section 34 of the Acts provides that a landlord must state a reason for the termination in any tenancy termination notice served, and the termination will not be valid unless that reason relates to one of the following:
- the tenant has failed to comply with the obligations (other than the obligation to pay rent) of the tenancy;
- the tenant has failed to comply with the obligation to pay rent under the tenancy;
- the dwelling is no longer suited to the needs of the occupying household;
- the landlord intends to sell the dwelling within the next 9 months;
- the landlord requires the dwelling for own or family member occupation;
- vacant possession is required for substantial refurbishment of the dwelling; and/or
- the landlord intends to change the use of the dwelling.
The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 strengthened the security of tenure for tenants by significantly extending the duration of tenancy termination notice periods; for example, a minimum of 180 days (approx. 6 months) notice must be provided by landlords who terminate a tenancy of between 3 and 7 years’ duration.
Since 1 July 2019, the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) is empowered under Part 7A – Complaints, Investigations and Sanctions – of the Residential Tenancies Acts to investigate improper conduct by landlords and to impose sanctions, where appropriate. In particular, an unlawful tenancy termination may be investigated with the landlord liable to a sanction of up to €30,000.
Section 56 of the Acts provides for the award of damages for abuse of the termination procedure, and the RTB can make a direction that a landlord pay an amount by way of damages for the deprivation of the tenancy.
The drafting of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 benefited from input from the sector, including the key Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) working in housing and homelessness. In particular, the 2019 amendments to legally tighten the tenancy termination provisions and to significantly extend the tenancy termination notice periods were informed by the experiences in the rental sector, as highlighted by the NGOs.
The Planning and Development, and Residential Tenancies, Act 2020 (PDRTA) provides that during the period from 11 January 2021 until 12 January 2022, for tenants with rent arrears due to Covid-19 and at risk of losing their tenancy who make the necessary declaration, landlords must provide in any notice of termination on the ground of rent arrears an effective termination date which is 90 days from the serving of the notice or 13 January 2022, whichever is the later.
The Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Act 2021, which was signed into law on 9 July 2021, provides for the extended application of the enhanced protections under the PDRTA for 6 months from 13 July 2021 to 12 January 2022.
Comprehensive information in relation to the enhanced protections under the PDRTA and the State supports available, including from the Department of Social Protection, to assist tenants is available on www.rtb.ie.
The Programme for Government - 'Our Shared Future', commits to improve the security of tenure for tenants, through legislating for tenancies of indefinite duration, increasing RTB enforcement and examining incentives for long-term leasing.
Subject to legal advices, I expect the General Scheme of the Housing and Residential Tenancies Bill to be submitted to Government in the Autumn for approval to proceed to legal drafting. A provision relating to tenancies of indefinite duration is being considered in this context.
621. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider increasing the maximum value of a property that can be purchased under the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39403/21]
View answerMy Department operates the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan, which is targeted at first time buyers who wish to own their own home, have access to an adequate deposit and have the capacity to repay a mortgage, but who are unable to access a mortgage sufficient for them to purchase their first home.
With a Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan you can borrow up to 90% of the market value of a residential property. Maximum market values of the property that can be purchased or self-built are:
- €320,000 in the counties Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow, and
- €250,000 in the rest of the country.
This limits the amount that can be borrowed to no more than €288,000 in the counties Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow and no more than €225,000 in the rest of the country. There are no plans at present to change these limits.
The Programme for Government - "Our Shared Future" contains a commitment to expand the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan.
Further information and full details of the loan’s eligibility criteria can be accessed on the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan website in the link below.
www.gov.ie/en/service/f749a-rebuilding-ireland-home-loan-scheme/
622. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if further schemes will be introduced to help solo buyers who are endeavouring to get on the property ladder; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39404/21]
View answerA number of measures are currently in place for individuals seeking to purchase or self-build their first home.
The Help to Buy Scheme may return tax paid in the previous four years (up to a maximum amount of €30,000) to eligible first-time homeowners purchasing or self-building a new home. Further information on this support is available online at: www.revenue.ie/en/property/help-to-buy-incentive/index.aspx.
The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is another support for first-time homeowners, including self-builds. This scheme enables access to sustainable mortgage lending to purchase new properties, or finance self-builds, or purchase second-hand properties, in a suitable price range. To avail of this support, applicants need to have sufficient borrowing and repayment capacity and must be capable of repaying the mortgage. Further information on the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is available at http://rebuildingirelandhomeloan.ie/.
In addition to the above substantial supports, the Affordable Housing Act 2021, which was enacted on 21 July 2021, is the first ever standalone affordable housing legislation. The provisions of the Act establish the basis for four new affordable housing measures.
These measures will deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to put affordability at the heart of the housing system and prioritise the increased supply of affordable homes through (1) delivering affordable homes on local authority lands, (2) the introduction of a new form of tenure in Cost Rental, (3) a new affordable purchase shared equity scheme and (4) expanding Part V planning requirements to increase the 10% contribution requirement to 20% and to apply it to cost rental as well as social and affordable housing.
The Government’s ‘Housing for All Strategy’ which will be published in the coming weeks will establish provide further details on the above supports.
623. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of funding his Department applied for in budget 2021 for the farm plan scheme; the amount of funding that was allocated to his Department for 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39408/21]
View answerThe NPWS Farm Plan Scheme supports landowners to deliver actions that benefit habitats and species in biodiversity areas of European and Irish importance. Over the past 15 years, around 800 Plans have been delivered covering a variety of nature interests, from birds and other species of conservation concern to habitats including eskers, coastal dunes, fens and turloughs. Currently, there are around 100 active Farm Plans across the country.
A total of €1.89m was made available in 2021 which will allow for approximately 200 additional Plans. In the most recent call for applications (March 2021), 170 valid farm plan applications were made. From these, 119 farm plans are presently being designed in cooperation between the landowner, NPWS and NPWS farm planners. The types of priorities that are associated with the present round of farm plan entrants include Blanket Bog, Birds of Conservation Concern, Pollinators, Lesser Horseshoe Bats, Rivers, Turloughs, Invasive Species, Tillage Biodiversity, Annexed Grasslands, Wider Biodiversity and more.
624. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of an application for a group sewerage scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39414/21]
View answerMy Department has recently engaged with the revelvant local authority in relation to some queries on the Community Waste Water Connection (formally known as group sewerage schemes) project included in the details supplied. It is now a matter for the local authority to advance the project further. My Department will continue to engage with the local authority on the project as required.
625. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the criteria which must be met by communities in seeking to amend town centre public realm enhancement work plans in order to be in a position to put forward their own plan with the necessary criteria concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39443/21]
View answerOn foot of clarification received by my Department from the Deputy, I understand that the question relates to a Town Public Realm Enhancement project in Ballaghaderreen, County Roscommon. I further understand that the project is funded under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund (RRDF), which comes within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Rural and Community Development.
Accordingly, I am not in a position to comment on the matter.
626. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to improve water quality in the River Lee given the dangerous nitrogen levels found in the river in 2019. [39489/21]
View answerPrimary responsibility for the monitoring, management, protection and improvement of water quality is assigned to local authorities under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts and related legislation. The Environmental Protection Agency, through its Office of Environmental Enforcement, exercises general supervision in relation to the performance of these functions by local authorities.
However, from a national perspective, the EPA’s recent report ‘Assessment of the catchments that need reductions in nitrogen concentrations to achieve water quality objectives’ highlighted the serious challenges facing Ireland’s Water Environment. Nutrient concentrations are too high and the trends in some areas are going in the wrong direction. This oversupply of nutrients is coming from agricultural land and from underperforming waste water systems (both urban and domestic).
In terms of agricultural nutrients, my Department is working closely with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on effective measures to address these issues through the River Basin Management Plan, the Nitrates Action Programme and the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan.
Our policy is to ensure we provide the right measure, in the right place. As outlined in the River Basin Management Plan for the years 2018 to 2021, and now in the EPA’s report, the pressures on water quality can vary across different catchments. As a result it is clear that ‘one-size fits all’ measures are not always fully effective. For example, established under the current River Basins Management Plan, a free advisory service is now available to farmers in priority areas where the EPA identifies agriculture as a significant pressure on water quality.
The Programme for Government commits Ireland to producing a new, stronger River Basin Management Plan in 2022, a draft of which will be published in the coming weeks for public consultation.
Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme is another key instrument in achieving good water quality. It is designed to prevent pollution of surface waters and groundwater from agricultural sources and to protect and improve water quality. The current regulations run to the end of 2021 and a new Nitrates Action Programme will be published at the beginning of 2022.
A second consultation phase on the review of the Nitrates Action Programme will be published in the coming weeks. This review is being led by the Nitrates Expert Group, which includes scientific experts from my own Department; the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine; Teagasc and the Environmental Protection Agency. The Nitrates Expert Group will assess the most up to date scientific evidence, and will advise my Department on the measures that should be included in the next Action Programme. The Expert Group are also engaging in bilateral discussions with interested stakeholder groups as part of the review.
Where urban waste water is causing an impact, Irish Water is investing in improved services and infrastructure through its Capital Investment Plan. Government has also improved targeted financial supports to help bring domestic septic tanks up to standard.
Our entire water system does need substantial and sustained investment over a number of investment cycles to fully improve performance and resilience. In this regard, as part of Budget 2021, over €1.4 billion was secured to support water services. This includes €1.3 billion in respect of domestic water services provision by Irish Water. This overall investment will deliver significant improvements in public water and wastewater services, support improved water supplies right across Ireland, including rural Ireland, and support a range of programmes delivering improved water quality in our rivers, lakes and marine area.
627. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the Traveller accommodation spend for 2021 to date, by local authority in tabular form. [39519/21]
View answerIn accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes in their areas. My Department’s role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist the authorities in providing such accommodation, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding.
Please see below the funds recouped to local authorities by my Department from the Traveller Accommodation budget in 2021 to date in tabular form.
|
Local Authority |
2021 recouped to date |
|
Carlow |
0 |
|
Cavan |
€518 |
|
Clare |
0 |
|
Cork City |
€113,056 |
|
Cork County |
0 |
|
Donegal |
€19,583 |
|
Dublin City |
0 |
|
DLR |
0 |
|
Fingal |
0 |
|
South Dublin |
0 |
|
Galway City |
€312,023 |
|
Galway County |
0 |
|
Kerry |
€9,292 |
|
Kildare |
0 |
|
Kilkenny |
€50,740 |
|
Laois |
€81,234 |
|
Leitrim |
0 |
|
Limerick City & Co. |
€1,581,468 |
|
Longford |
0 |
|
Louth |
0 |
|
Mayo |
0 |
|
Meath |
€56,071 |
|
Monaghan |
0 |
|
Offaly |
€213,022 |
|
Roscommon |
€33,116 |
|
Sligo |
€18,166 |
|
Tipperary |
0 |
|
Waterford City & Co. |
€173,817 |
|
Westmeath |
0 |
|
Wexford |
0 |
|
Wicklow |
€169,811 |
|
|
|
|
Totals |
€2,831,917 |
628. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of funding that has been allocated and spent to date for 2021 on the refurbishment of local authority flat complexes; the flat complexes and local authorities they are in; and the work which was undertaken or has commenced in each complex. [39520/21]
View answerI understand from clarification received that the Deputy that he is seeking information on funding drawn down by Dublin City Council (DCC) from the Regeneration programme in the 2021 vote and for years previous for the refurbishment, regeneration or replacement of flat complexes built from the 1930s to the 1960s.
The 2021 Vote allocated €73million for the subhead A.15 Estate Regeneration programmes includes Disabled Persons Grants, extensions, improvements works in lieu, remedial works schemes and the various regeneration programmes in Limerick, Cork City, Dublin City, Tralee, Sligo and Dundalk.
From 2015 to 2020 DCC has drawn down over €101 million in regeneration funding.
Regarding Dublin City flat complexes, the Dolphin House and St. Teresa’s Gardens Phase 1 (Margaret Kennedy Road) projects have been completed.
There are a number of replacement projects underway including O’Devaney Gardens Phase 1A, Dominick St. East, Cornamona Court, and North King Street. As these projects are on previously cleared sites funding is being used from the A.3 SHIP Vote and as such are not drawing down from the A.15 Regeneration subhead.
My Department has provided Stage 1 Capital Appraisal approval for the refurbishment/replacement of Pearse House Phase 1 (April 2021), Constitution Hill (June 2020) and Matt Talbot Court (July 2020) and Stage 2 Approval for St. Mary’s Dorset St. (July 2021). DCC is working towards detailed design and Part 8 Planning for these projects.
DCC has informed my Department that it is working on Stage 1 Capital Appraisals and option assessments for the full refurbishment of Oliver Bond House and other flat complexes. My Department looks forward to working with DCC on these important projects.
Following on from reviews of the conditions of its older flat complexes and based on the need to modernise and bring the living conditions up to acceptable levels and as part of its climate action plans, DCC has advised that it is developing a long term strategy for the redevelopment and/or refurbishment of many of these complexes. I also understand that DCC has identified 96 of these older flat complexes for redevelopment and/or refurbishment in the years 2021 to 2030.
A large number of these flat complexes will be effectively rebuilt while others will be refurbished and in some cases will need amalgamations (i.e. two in one) due to unacceptable sizes of some homes. My Department is considering the most appropriate funding streams to enable these refurbishment/regeneration/replacement projects and will work with DCC to progress them.
In addition to the normal voids programme funding my Department recently announced funding under the Void Flats Programme. This programme provides funding for DCC to carry out refurbishment works to flats that are vacant in older flat complexes in order to be ready for tenanting in 2021. Up to €5 million has been allocated for these refurbishments and my Department is working with DCC on its submission.
629. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the Call for Housing; the number of properties that have been offered; and the number of properties that have been acquired. [39521/21]
View answerTo July 20th 2021, 311 properties were offered for sale to the Housing Agency including 42 properties also offered for leasing. A further 138 properties were offered for leasing or for Rental Accommodation Scheme arrangements. Of the properties offered for sale, 45 proceeded to sale, with 32 of these purchases completed to date. A further number of properties submitted to the Housing Agency are being pursued by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies independently.
