Written Answers Nos. 332-354
332. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which he proposes to increase the income thresholds to facilitate applicants for local authority houses given that the level has been unchanged for years despite the level of inflation in the house-building sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22612/22]
View answer352. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when income eligibility limits for social housing for areas such as counties Cavan and Monaghan will be increased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22755/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 332 and 352 together.
I refer to the reply to Question No. 75 of 5 May 2022 which sets out the position in the matter.
333. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of houses that were made available to local authority housing applicants by county in each of the past two years in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22613/22]
View answerThe oversight and practical management of housing waiting lists, including the allocation and transfer of tenancies, is solely a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, and associated regulations.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity, including details by individual local authority. This data is available to the end of 2021, and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/
My Department does not hold details on the total number of houses that were made available for allocation by local authorities over the past two years.
334. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applicants for local authority houses by county at present; the extent to which this number has fluctuated in the course of the past two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22614/22]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is not held in my Department.
The assessment and management of social housing applications are matters for each local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations.
Detail on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is published by my Department in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). See below for links to the 2020 and 2021 summaries.
SSHA 2021
www.gov.ie/en/publication/f6119-summary-of-social-housing-assessments-2021-key-findings/
SSHA 2020 www.gov.ie/en/publication/970ea-summary-of-social-housing-assessments-2020-key-findings/#:~:text=The%20Summary%20of%20Social%20Housing,is%20not%20currently%20being%20met.
335. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which it is expected to address the large numbers of applicants for local authority houses currently on waiting lists over the next three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22615/22]
View answerThe Housing for All strategy is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade, including an average of 10,000 social homes per annum from 2022-2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4b per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the Land Development Agency and €5bn in funding through the Housing Finance Agency.
Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022-2026. This includes a target to deliver 28,400 new build social homes and 2,200 homes delivered through long-term leasing from 2022-2024. I have issued social housing targets to each local authority for the period 2022-2026.
Additional funding will also be provided to support households on social housing waiting lists to secure a tenancy, supported by the Housing Assistance Payment, while we increase the supply of housing stock managed by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies.
336. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which Rebuilding Ireland loans or their equivalent can be made available readily to first-time house buyers or to first-time buyers in a new relationship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22616/22]
View answerThe Local Authority Home Loan is a Government backed mortgage scheme for those on modest or low incomes who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. The Local Authority Home Loan is the successor to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan. It has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022 for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants. The loan can be used both for new and second-hand properties, or to self-build.
Single applicants for properties in counties Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Meath or Wicklow must not be earning greater than €65,000 annual gross income or €50,000 annual gross income for properties in all other counties in the Republic of Ireland. Joint applicants must not be earning greater than €75,000 combined for properties in all counties in the Republic of Ireland.
Aside from first-time buyers, a ‘Fresh Start’ principle applies for applications to the Local Authority Home Loan. The following categories of persons are eligible to apply for the Local Authority Home Loan under the Fresh Start principle:
- Applicant(s) that previously purchased or built a residential property, but is divorced/separated or otherwise and has left the property and divested themselves of their interest in the property are eligible.
- Applicant(s) that previously purchased a residential property, but have been divested of this through insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings, are eligible to apply. The applicant must be discharged from bankruptcy proceedings. It should be noted that a return to solvency should not be interpreted as a return to creditworthiness, which is a separate assessment.
In recognition of such instances, an exemption to the First Time Buyer eligibility criteria can be applied under the Fresh Start Principle.
The final decision regarding the Local Authority Home Loan application is made by the relevant Local Authority Credit Committee on a case by case basis.
Further details can be found on www.localauthorityhomeloan.ie/
337. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the degree to which the various forms of assistance available for first-time house buyers are upgrading satisfactorily without contributing to house price inflation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22617/22]
View answer339. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way that house buyers seeking to purchase an affordable house are in a position to do so given house price inflation and the possibility that assistance available is being eroded by price inflation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22619/22]
View answer340. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which affordable housing can be made available in such a way as to ensure that those in need are not being subjected to market price inflation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22620/22]
View answer341. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if an all-out effort can be made to provide affordable housing and housing for those on the local authority waiting lists in the short-term given the high-level of income currently devoted to payments of rent or mortgage repayment due to house price inflation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22621/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 337, 339 and 340 and 341 together.
The Housing for All strategy is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade.
Our targets include the delivery of 90,000 new social homes and 54,000 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the Land Development Agency and €5bn funding through the Housing Finance Agency and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.
Specifically in relation to affordable homes, using various funding streams available to help reduce the ultimate purchase or rental cost, Housing for All targets the delivery of 36,000 Affordable Purchase homes and 18,000 Cost Rental homes up to 2030. These homes will be delivered by Local Authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency as well as through a strategic partnership between the State and participating retail banks (the First Home shared equity scheme).
The first 65 Cost Rental homes were tenanted by the Clúid AHB in 2021 at least 40% below comparable open-market prices. Funding from the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) supported the delivery of 50 Cost Rental homes that were tenanted last month in Woodside, Enniskerry Road, Stepaside. Tenants have been selected by AHBs for a further 4 Cost Rental schemes due for delivery in the coming months, with further developments due later in the year.
Affordable purchase homes supported by the AHF, will be made available in Boherboy, Cork City this May, with indicated prices of €218,000 for a 2-bedroom and €243,000 for a 3-bedroom dwelling. Applications recently closed for 16 Affordable Purchase homes in Kilcarbery Grange, a South Dublin County Council supported affordable purchase development. Indicated costs for these homes are between €245,600 and €285,300. This will be followed by Dun Emer in Lusk, a Fingal County Council supported affordable purchase development with indicated costs of €166,000 for a 2-bed apartment and between €206,000 and €258,000 for 3-bed dwellings. These homes are being made available at rates which are c. 20% below market norms.
The First Home scheme will employ an equity stake model to support the purchase of c. 8,000 new homes on the private market in the years 2022 to 2025. The scheme will be jointly established and governed with participating mortgage lenders (primarily pillar retail banks). The overall anticipated spending for the scheme is €400m, funded on a 50:50 basis by the State and participating mortgage lenders. The current schedule anticipates a launch of the First Home scheme website in early June, with a full scheme deployment shortly thereafter.
Project Tosaigh was also announced through the Housing for All strategy. Under this initiative, additional funding of €1bn was committed to the Land Development Agency, who will enter into forward purchase arrangements to kick-start stalled private developments and increase the supply of affordable housing. The LDA initiated a call on 12 November 2021 targeting a scale in excess of 150 affordable units per development and is currently in the process of finalising agreements with prospective proposers for the initial tranche of affordable homes delivered through this initiative.
The CSO Wholesale Price Index shows the annual increase for building and construction materials to be 16.9% to the end of March 2022. Construction costs have risen considerably over recent years through a combination of the increased cost of regulatory compliance and general increases in labour and materials costs.
Housing for All commits that the Government and relevant State agencies will advance methods to reduce residential construction costs, particularly the cost of apartment construction, by increasing the focus of existing and planned construction related initiatives on the residential construction sector, and by ensuring a coordinated, whole-of-government, approach to residential construction.
In this regard, the Government will enhance the intended role of the new Construction Technology Centre, which is under development by Enterprise Ireland, beyond the standard remit of Technology Centres in general for its first three years of operation in order to prioritise residential construction, in particular by incorporating:
- structures and funding to enable innovation in residential construction prior to the National Standards Authority of Ireland compliance processes, including demonstration, certification, standardisation and commercialisation as well as research and development;
- a proactive role in strengthening the residential construction value chain;
- promotion, development and support for innovation / modern methods of construction (MMCs) using digital and manufacturing technology;
- support for SMEs to develop scale and to adopt MMCs and Building Information Modelling techniques for residential construction; and
- support for digitisation in the manufacturing sector for residential construction e.g. digitally controlled manufacturing equipment.
This will be complemented by an increased focus for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform-led Construction Sector Group (CSG) on the residential construction sector. This will include the introduction and full implementation of a pipeline of cost reducing innovations and productivity measures, in line with its established remit to improve productivity and efficiency, and to temper price inflation.
In addition the CSG supported by my Department are also in the process of preparing a study to carry out an analysis for each component of cost of construction (including cost of compliance) of house and apartment development, with a view to reducing cost (including cost of compliance) and increasing standardisation. It will also identify opportunities for cost reduction for consideration by relevant Government departments and industry.
In accordance with Government policy, social and affordable housing construction projects (as with all publicly funded construction projects), must be procured in accordance with the Capital Works Management Framework. The Office of Government (OGP) is responsible for implementing national policy on public procurement, particularly in relation to construction procurement.
The OGP continues to review the situation and introduced the following interim measures last year to address the impact that price increases in construction materials is having on public works tenders:
- Reduced fixed price period duration to 24 months (previously 30 months minimum).
- Permit mutual cost recovery within the fixed price period for material price changes in excess of 15% (previously 50%)
- Introduction of a new mechanism to address the period between tender submission and award through limited indexation of the tender price
The above measures relate to new public works contracts going forward.
338. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans for an urgent review of the funding available for affordable purchase housing and for the provision of sufficient funding to meet the requirements of the local authority housing lists and other middle-income groups currently unable to house themselves other than by way of exorbitant rents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22618/22]
View answerExchequer investment from the National Development Plan, together with Housing Finance Agency lending and Land Development Agency investment will mean that some €4 billion in State funding will be available for housing every year from 2021-2025. This funding commitment underpins the Government’s Housing for All plan, which commits to more than 9,500 new-build social homes, 4,000 Affordable Purchase homes and 2,000 ‘Cost Rental’ homes per year up to 2030.
Housing for All sets out the range of actions necessary to increase the supply of housing to the required 33,000 homes, on average, per year over the next decade. 54,000 affordable home interventions will be delivered between now and 2030 to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks. 36,000 of the targeted units will be affordable purchase homes, with the remaining 18,000 as cost rental units.
Funding is made available by Government to assist local authority affordable housing delivery, for purchase and rent, through the Affordable Housing Fund, and Approved Housing Body delivery is supported by the Cost Rental Equity Loan. Following a review of the Serviced Sites Fund last year, the revised Affordable Housing Fund subsidy scheme now makes a maximum funding amount of €100,000 per unit available to local authorities, double the maximum subsidy of €50,000 that was available under the Serviced Sites Fund.
Questions Nos. 339 to 341, inclusive, answered with Question No. 337.
342. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason that the Registry of Deeds Office has not opened since March 2020; and the reason that the Registry of Deeds Office does not open now; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22624/22]
View answerThe Property Registration Authority (PRA), including the Registry of Deeds, continued to maintain a high level of service to support a robust property market throughout the period of Covid-19 restrictions. In 2021, the number of deeds lodged with the Registry of Deeds increased by 9 per cent, and the number processed increased by 20 per cent. Some 4,518 copy memorial applications were received during 2021 and issued within 1 to 3 working days from the date of receipt. The number of official searches undertaken during 2021 was 1,400, which was 113 per cent more than in 2020. Some 99 per cent of regular searches are processed within 1 to 3 working days.
Public access to pre-1970 records at the Registry of Deeds Henrietta Street building was suspended on 11 March 2020. However, public access by appointment re-opened on 10 August 2020. In line with Government guidelines, public access was again suspended in November 2020 during 'Level 5' of the Government’s Living with Covid-19 Plan and also between January and May 2021. However, the appointment service re-commenced on 11 May 2021, with data indicating that there is a sufficient number of appointments to meet customer demand. It should also be noted that Registry of Deeds staff continued to undertake searches and provide certified copies throughout the pandemic disruption.
The public counter service for post-1970 public searches was closed on 11 March 2020. These records have been computerised and access to them is available via www.landdirect.ie. PRA staff also provide an enhanced response to queries by e-mail and phone to assist customers in navigating landdirect.ie. A postal and e-mail search service is also provided for customers not wishing to open a landdirect account. In addition, a new e-mail service for 'plain' (non-certified) copies of documents was introduced in June 2020. It is also intended to provide an in-person service for post-1970 public searches on an appointment basis in the coming months.
The PRA Chancery Street Office is open to receive applications to register deeds in the Registry of Deeds, lodged by hand.
343. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of persons in the past three years who previously were on the Cork City Council housing list and were removed due to the fact that they had exceeded the income threshold; the average number of years for each of the applicants who were removed from the list. [22677/22]
View answer344. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of persons in the past three years who previously were on the Cork County Council housing list and were removed because they had exceeded the income threshold; and the average number of years for each of these applicants removed from the list. [22678/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 343 and 344 together.
The information requested by the Deputy is not held by my Department.
The oversight and practical management of housing waiting and transfer lists is a matter for each local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations.
345. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there are circumstances in which a social housing tenant can transfer and swap from County Cork to County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22688/22]
View answerRequests for housing transfers are considered solely by the relevant local authority concerned in accordance with that authority’s allocation scheme, which is made by the elected members under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and in compliance with Social Housing Allocation Regulations 2011.
Local authorities are responsible for assessing housing applicants, taking into account factors such as the condition and affordability of existing accommodation, medical and compassionate grounds, etc. The authority then prioritises the needs of approved applicants in accordance with its allocation scheme. Ultimately, it is a matter for the local authority to decide the conditions to be met in relation to transfer applications.
All four Dublin authorities have provisions in their allocation schemes for inter authority/mutual transfers for sitting tenants whereby the authority is prepared to accommodate applications for inter authority/mutual transfers provided certain criteria are met. Similar arrangements apply in other local authorities, such arrangements are entirely a matter for the local authority concerned.
346. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22690/22]
View answerThe Local Authority Home Loan is a Government backed mortgage for those on modest or low incomes who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. It has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022 for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants. The loan can be used both for new and second-hand properties, or to self-build. It is the successor to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan.
Section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that, subject to law, a local authority is independent in the performance of its functions. Section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 specifically provides that the Minister's power to issue policy directions and guidelines to housing authorities in relation to their housing functions should not be construed as enabling the Minister to exercise any power or control in relation to any individual case with which a housing authority is or may be concerned. I am, therefore, precluded from intervening in relation to individual cases.
The final decision on loan approval is a matter for each local authority and its Credit Committee on a case-by-case basis. Decisions on all housing loan applications must be made in accordance with the statutory credit policy that underpins the scheme, in order to ensure consistency of treatment for all applicants.
347. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the development of a database by Ordnance Survey Ireland; if he and or his predecessors and officials were consulted on the development and the sanctioning of same (details supplied). [22718/22]
View answerThe details supplied relate to GeoDirectory, a private company, whose shareholders are An Post (the majority shareholder) and Ordnance Survey Ireland.
Pursuant to Section 7(1) of the Ordnance Survey Ireland Act 2001, Ordnance Survey Ireland may, either by itself or with another person, with the consent of myself as Minister, take part in the formation or establishment of a company to perform any of the functions conferred upon Ordnance Survey Ireland by that Act. Beyond this statutory provision, I have no role in the development and sanctioning of the company's services.
Arrangements have been put in place by each Agency under the aegis of Government Departments to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. The contact email address for Ordnance Survey Ireland is Oireachtas@osi.ie.
348. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a person (details supplied) can avail of grant-aid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22739/22]
View answer371. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide further information on the new grant of up to €30,000 to help prospective homeowners who buy derelict properties to renovate and live in them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23236/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 348 and 371 together.
Housing for All (published in September 2021) provides a new housing plan for Ireland to 2030 with the overall objective that every citizen in the State should have access to good quality homes through a steady supply of housing in the right locations, with economic, social and environmental sustainability built into the system. The strategy sets out, over four pathways, a broad suite of measures to achieve its policy objectives together with a financial commitment of in excess of €4 billion per annum.
The suite of measures under the pathway to addressing vacancy and efficient use of existing stock includes the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund which will be delivered by local authorities for the provision of serviced sites for housing, to attract people to build their own homes and to support the refurbishment of vacant properties, enabling people to live in small towns and villages, in a sustainable way.
Details in relation to the operation of the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund is at an advanced stage, including the scope and appropriate timeframes, and it will be launched shortly.
350. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of council homes that have been retrofitted under the midlands retrofit programme 2020, by county; the associated funding costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22750/22]
View answerIn 2020, funding of €20 million was made available as part of the Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan for an energy efficiency retrofitting programme to fund upgrades to local authority houses in the midlands, under the 'Just Transition' programme. The Midland Retrofit Programme was established as a pilot programme to provide learnings on the move to 'deeper retrofit', to trial the aggregation concept and provide economic stimulus to the counties most affected by the cessation of peat harvesting for electricity generation. It centred therefore on upgrading larger batches of homes in distinct, compact geographical areas.
The Midlands Retrofit Programme experienced significant delays due to the effects of COVID-19 and other obstacles including tendering and supply chain issues particularly concerning Heat Pumps, Windows & Doors, and Insulation. Notwithstanding these challenges, local authorities undertook a lot of the preparatory work on the Programme in 2020 and in 2021 brought their targeted units to tender and commencement stage.
In 2021, 146 properties were completed under the Midlands Retrofit Programme. A breakdown of the funding provided and number of properties upgraded under the Programme is available on my Department’s website at the following link.
www.gov.ie/en/publication/b86b3-midlands-energy-retrofit-programme-expenditure-and-units/
It is envisaged that the remaining units targeted under the programme will be completed this year and statistics in relation to 2022 will be available in early 2023. This will conclude the MRP Pilot Programme as the newly revised Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme is available across all 31 local authorities since 2021.
351. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will issue guidance on whether the help-to-buy scheme will be extended to 2023; if other schemes to assist those looking to buy a home will be rolled out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22751/22]
View answerThe Help to Buy tax rebate is a matter for the Department of Finance, and policy responsibilities and the power to make amendments to the scheme lie with my colleague the Minister for Finance.
In terms of my own Department's work, the Affordable Housing Act 2021 lays the foundations for two affordable purchase schemes: Part 2 of the Act details the provisions for the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme, and Part 4 of the Act provides for the establishment of the First Home Affordable Purchase Shared Equity Scheme to support purchases in the private market. The full text of the Affordable Housing Act 2021 is available from the following link: www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2021/act/25/enacted/en/html
The Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme has already seen new homes made available by Local Authorities for purchase by eligible applicants. This includes locations in Kilcarbery Grange, Clondalkin South County Dublin and Dun Emer in Lusk, Fingal. Under the scheme, homes are made available at significant reductions on market prices based on an eligible buyer's purchasing ability. The Local Authority will take a percentage equity stake in the home in recognition of the State support. The scheme is primarily targeted at First Time Buyers, though Section 10 of the Affordable Housing Act sets provisions for eligibility exceptions for the scheme, which are part of the Government's 'Fresh Start' strategy as detailed in the Housing for All strategy. Broadly, the provisions include an exception for those who previously purchased or constructed a home with a spouse or partner but who are now divorced or legally separated or whose relationship has ended, or who have undergone an insolvency process, and who now have no financial interest in the previous home.
The First Home Scheme will help applicants to afford new homes in the private market through the use of an equity share model, similar to that employed in Local Authority Affordable Purchase. The scheme aims to support the purchase of c. 8,000 new homes in the private market in the years 2022 to 2026. First Home will only support purchases of homes within regional price ceilings, set with reference to the median prices for new homes purchased by First Time Buyers in the area, so the scheme is targeted at the lower region of the market. Like the Local Authority scheme, First Home is primarily targeted at First Time Buyers, with certain exemptions. The intention is to mirror the 'Fresh Start' provisions of the Local Authority scheme for people who are divorced or separated or whose relationship has ended, or have undergone insolvency, and who now have no financial interest in the previous home. It is intended that full details of the First Home Scheme will be available online on a dedicated website in June in advance of the scheme’s deployment shortly thereafter.
The Local Authority Home Loan scheme commenced on 4 January 2022 and now incorporates a lower interest rate, higher income eligibility thresholds for single applicants in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow (increasing from €50,000 to €65,000), and more flexibility on house size. The maximum income threshold for joint applications is €75,000 in all counties. The loan can be used for new and second-hand properties, or for self-builds with a maximum value of 90% of market value of a residential property. The maximum market values are €320,000 in the counties Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow, and €250,000 in the rest of the country. The Local Authority Home Loan can be used to purchase a home under the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme. Full details of the Local Authority Home Loan can be found online at: www.localauthorityhomeloan.ie/
353. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will allocate funding to local authorities for the 2022 Voids Programme in view of the importance of this scheme in bringing back to habitable use vacant council housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22756/22]
View answerThe management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.
Since 2014, Exchequer funding has also been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to supplement the local authority funding available for the preparation of vacant properties for re-letting. The funding was introduced originally to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted to support authority's to ensure minimal turnaround and re-let times for vacant stock.
From 2014 to 2021, expenditure of some €261 million was recouped to local authorities under the Voids Programme which funded the return to productive use of 18,527 properties nationwide. Local authorities also provide significant funding from their own resources to address the level of vacancy within the social housing stock.
My Department will continue to support local authorities in their work in this area. Funding allocations under the 2022 Programme will be announced shortly.
354. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he intends to publish the report into allegations of planning corruption in County Donegal; and the actions that he intends to take on foot of the contents of the Mulcahy Report. [22768/22]
View answerI am considering the report, entitled 'A Review Into Certain Planning Matters in Respect of Donegal County Council', by Mr. Rory Mulcahy S.C., and will bring this matter to Government for consideration in due course.
With regard to the question of the publication of the Mulcahy Report, the decisions of the Commissioner for Environmental Information (CEI/18/0019) of 13 February 2019 and the Information Commissioner (OIC-59426-Q8D7T8) of 27 February 2020 in relation to requests to publish this report will also be taken into account. Both decisions are publicly available on those bodies' websites.
It should be noted that in each of these cases, both the Commissioner for Environmental Information and the Information Commissioner decided not to grant access to the report. The Office of the Information Commissioner decision stated "placing the details concerned in the public domain would significantly breach the rights to privacy of identifiable individuals." Therefore, this is a matter that requires careful consideration given that the report details unproven allegations against named individuals.
