Written Answers Nos. 161-169
161. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the secure tenancy affordable rental (STAR) investment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48891/23]
View answerThe new Secure Tenancy Affordable Rental investment scheme (STAR) launched on 18 July 2023. STAR aims to invest up to €750m in the delivery of over 4,000 Cost Rental homes by 2027, to be let at a minimum of 25% below comparable market rental levels in high demand urban areas. The scheme provides equity investment up to a maximum of €175,000 per unit in Dublin and €150,000 per unit in the rest of Ireland, with an additional €25,000 available for meeting sustainability criteria,
The STAR investment scheme is open to public bodies and private market operators and is being managed by the Housing Agency on behalf of my Department. The Housing Agency has been accepting Expressions of Interest from proposers for eligible schemes since 1 August 2023. To date 16 applications have been received under the Scheme.
162. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what consideration his Department has given to the role long-term leases, or ‘life-leases’, can play in the Irish rental market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49043/23]
View answerLong term lease arrangements, including the enhanced lease, of privately owned dwellings can be entered into by either local authorities or Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Under these arrangements the local authority or AHB acts as the landlord to the tenant. The terms of these agreements are set out in standard template agreements provided by my Department, which must be used by all local authorities and AHBs. Agreements may be entered into for periods of between 10 and 25 year.
Under the Housing for All plan, long term leasing, which includes Enhanced Leasing, will be ended by 2025. Housing for All long term leasing targets have been assigned to 13 Local Authorities to deliver 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing from 2022 to 2025, tapering down from 1,300 units in 2022 to 200 units in 2025.
Housing for All commits to ending long term leasing by the end of 2025. This policy remains unchanged. Notwithstanding this, leasing continues to be an important mechanism for expedited delivery to meet social housing needs as build supply ramps up to meet demand.
164. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the proposals he plans to table for consideration by the citizens of Dublin of future governance for the city. [48357/23]
View answerIn June this year, Government referred the report of the 2022 Dublin Citizens’ Assembly to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The Committee was asked to consider the recommendations contained in the report, and to advise on whether to hold plebiscite to determine if Dublin should have a directly-elected Mayor and local government structures as recommended, and if so, the wording for such a plebiscite.
The Committee has been requested to issue a detailed response to the report by the end of 2023.
The report and recommendations are also under consideration in my Department with a view to preparing a comprehensive response for Government’s consideration, informed by the work of the Committee, in due course.
166. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will give consideration to expanding the current domestic wastewater treatment system grants outside of the current rated high-status areas in Cork county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49049/23]
View answerMy Department currently provides funding for three demand-led domestic waste water treatment system (DWWTS) grant schemes. The purpose of the grants is to provide financial assistance to householders for the remediation, repair, upgrade or replacement of DWWTS (commonly known as septic tanks). These grants are focused on the areas of greatest environmental priority to protect human health and the environment, and are not general in application. I have no plans to expand the grants outside of these priorities.
The owner of a DWWTS is responsible for its maintenance and ensuring that its parts and components are fit for purpose, operational and kept in good order, so as to prevent a risk to human health or the environment.
I can confirm that my Department has recently completed a review of these grant schemes. The review process included extensive consultation with stakeholders in the Rural Water Sector to identify where improvements could and should be made to the terms and conditions of the grants.
I have recently announced changes to the grants, following the review, which include increasing the maximum grant amount available to €12,000 (from €5,000) and removing a requirement for historical registration of the DWWTS with the local authority in order to be eligible for a grant. These improvements will encourage more householders to avail of the grant and consequently help reduce the environmental risk from defective tanks. These changes will come into effect from 1 January 2024.
167. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he will include the redress focus groups on the implementation steering group to access the financial needs of defective block households in Donegal and around the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45974/23]
View answerAs you are aware the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 which contains the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Grant Scheme commenced on 22 June 2023 and the related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023. The enhanced scheme provides very considerable enhancements over the old Scheme for eligible homeowners.
I established the Implementation Steering Group to work through administrative issues around the DCB scheme as they arise and make recommendations if further changes to the regulations or guidelines on the Scheme are needed. The Group comprises the relevant local authorities, my Department, the Housing Agency, and the Homeowner's Liaison Officer. It has met in August, September, October and November with the next meeting scheduled for the end of the month. This Group will report directly to me and will prepare a report on the first six months of operation of the scheme.
There are no plans, at this point, to extend the group beyond the current makeup. I am satisfied that the various channels of engagement that are currently operating ensure that the views of all relevant stakeholders can, and are being heard. In particular the concerns of the homeowners come to my Department through Mr. John O'Connor the Homeowner Liaision Officer. My Department remains fully committed to continuing to engage with a broad array of stakeholders through existing fora to assist it in determining the best option to provide a mechanism for dealing with DCB related issues that arise.
168. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the delivery of affordable homes in Poolbeg West SDZ and St. Michael’s Estate. [49052/23]
View answerThe Government's Housing for All plan aims to deliver 54,000 affordable homes by 2030, to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency, and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.
The regeneration of Poolbeg West is an important step in the transformation of the Dublin Docklands area, with the potential to provide for 3,500 homes. A condition of the planning scheme for the Poolbeg West Strategic Development Zone, as modified by An Bord Pleanála on 9 April 2019, is the provision of 15% social and affordable homes on this site in addition to the 10% statutory social housing requirement under Part V arrangements.
In March 2022, Dublin City Council approved an application for the first phase of homes at the former Glass Bottle site. My Department has been working with Dublin City Council and the developers of the Poolbeg SDZ area to progress the delivery of social and affordable housing in this first phase of housing delivery, subject to agreement on the SDZ requirements and all the normal and relevant terms, including value for money aspects. The developers are engaging with Dublin City Council regarding the provision of the 10% Part V social housing in this first phase and tripartite engagement is ongoing with regard to delivery of the additional social and affordable housing in this first phase in accordance with the terms of the SDZ condition. Drafting of an agreement is underway and the parties are not in a position to comment further until an agreement is finalised.
In relation to St Michael's Estate, Emmet Road, Part 10 planning approval was granted in July this year for 578 social and affordable homes on the site. My Department is currently working with Dublin City Council to advance delivery of this key scheme.
169. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what schemes are provided by his Department to help first-time buyers in acquiring their new home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48128/23]
View answerAffordability and the chance to own a home is at the heart of the Government’s housing policy. As detailed in the Housing for All strategy, the Government has introduced a number of measures to support households and individuals wishing to purchase a home, as well as increasing the overall supply of new homes, with an ambitious target of 300,000 new homes up to 2030.
Under Pathway 1 of this strategy, “Pathways to Home Ownership and Increasing Affordability”, two new Affordable Purchase schemes have been established (the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme and the First Home shared equity scheme), and an improved Local Authority Home Loan scheme.
The Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme primarily supports first-time buyers purchasing Local Authority-delivered new homes by bridging the gap between the market value of the home and the combined value of the buyer's mortgage and deposit. Affordable Purchase homes will be advertised on the relevant Local Authority’s website in advance of their sale, and set out eligibility requirements such as household income limits. This scheme uses an equity share model to give eligible purchasers the opportunity of home ownership at a significant discount.
The First Home shared equity scheme, launched last July, employs a similar equity share model in order to support households unable to afford the purchase of new homes in the private market. Subject to eligibility criteria, it can provide funds up to 30% of the value of a newly constructed home (or 20% if the Help to Buy Scheme is used). The Scheme was further expanded in September to include eligible applicants who wish to self-build their new home. Overall, this scheme is intended to support up to 8,000 affordable purchases in the period out to 2026, and the State has committed funding of €200m, to be matched by the participating mortgage lenders.
Full details of the First Home Scheme, including eligibility criteria and how to apply, are available on the scheme website: www.firsthomescheme.ie/
Other measures, such as the Help to Buy Scheme and the Local Authority Home loan are also nationally available to eligible first-time purchasers to make home ownership more affordable.
The Help-to-Buy incentive supports first-time buyers in meeting the deposit requirements for newly-built houses or apartments, as well as self-build homes. Subject to the level of income tax and DIRT paid over the previous 4 years, the Help-to-Buy scheme provides a maximum benefit to first-time buyers of €30,000 or 10% of the cost of the newly constructed home. As of the end of October 2023, over 42,500 first-time buyers have been supported by this incentive. Further details of this scheme are available here: www.revenue.ie/en/property/help-to-buy-incentive/index.aspx
The new Local Authority Home Loan commenced on 4 January 2022 and 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 loan can be used by first-time buyers for both for new and second-hand properties, or for self-builds. More information on the Local Authority Home Loan is available on the website: localauthorityhomeloan.ie/
Lastly, for those wishing to purchase and renovate vacant or derelict properties, the new Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is also available nationwide and it provides for grants for refurbishment of vacant properties of up to €50,000 or €70,000 if the property is derelict. The scheme has been extended to cover houses built up to 2007, and is available for properties intended for rental as well as owner-occupied.
I also announced last year, a new Ready to Build serviced sites scheme under the Fund where Local Authorities will provide sites at a discount to people who want to build their own home. Information on both of these schemes is available directly from Local Authorities.
