Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 May 2022
128. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of capital applications submitted for approval; the number that were approved; and the value of same for counties Westmeath and Longford, respectively, in 2020, 2021 and 2022, in tabular form. [23736/22]
View answerThe details of all approved social housing construction programmes are published quarterly in the Social Housing Construction Status Report. This report provides details of all social housing developments, which are under construction, have been completed or are at various stages of the design and pre-tender process in each local authority at the end of 2021. The report is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/af746-social-housing-construction-projects-status-report-q4-2021/. A version of this file can also be downloaded at the following link: opendata.housing.gov.ie/dataset/social-housing-construction-status-report-q4-2021.
Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are making an important contribution to social housing delivery, as envisaged under current Government policy. My Department operates a number of funding programmes that assist local authorities to work in partnership with AHBs to construct or purchase new homes and make them available for social housing. One such programme that AHBs progress projects through is the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF).
CALF funding is capital support provided to AHBs by local authorities to facilitate the funding of construction, acquisition or refurbishment of new social housing units. This loan facility can support up to 30% of the eligible capital cost of the housing project, with the housing units provided to local authorities for social housing use under long-term lease arrangements known as Payment and Availability Agreements. A nominal interest rate of 2% fixed per annum is charged by the local authority on the initial capital amount. Repayments on either the capital or interest are not required during the term of the loan (between 10 and 30 years), although where an AHB chooses to, repayments can be made during the term. At the end of the term, the outstanding capital amount plus the interest accrued, is owed and repayable to the local authority. The local authority issues the CALF monies to the AHB and the local authority, in turn, recoups same from the Department.
Eight CALF applications in total were received and approved by my Department for projects in County Westmeath between 2020 and 2022 to date, with a total of €24,657,493 in capital funding approved. My Department did not receive any CALF applications for County Longford during this period.
My Department also provides capital funding to both Westmeath and Longford County Councils under the Social Housing Investment Programme (SHIP) and the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) for the construction and acquisition of houses and apartments for social housing use.
My Department has two proposals from Westmeath County Council for the delivery of 3 homes under SHIP in Athlone and 55 homes under CAS also in Athlone and these are currently being assessed by my Department. The total value of all of these construction schemes for Westmeath is c.€181m. My Department also has three proposals from Longford County Council for the delivery 55 homes under SHIP. The total value of these construction schemes in Longford is c.€85m.
In addition, my Department has also supported the acquisition of 34 homes for Westmeath by providing c.€9.5m and 53 homes for Longford by providing c.€8m since 2020 under SHIP. I have also supported the acquisition of 4 units of accommodation for Westmeath by providing some €0.5m and 11 units for Longford by providing c.€0.5m since 2020 under CAS.
Under Housing for All, the funding is in place to support both local authorities, including approved housing bodies with whom they work, and I'm keen that they progress their social housing schemes as quickly as possible.
