Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 December 2023
130. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department is continuing the repair and lease scheme; the total number of applications from Kerry approved under this scheme in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55830/23]
View answerThe repair and leasing scheme (RLS) is one of the delivery options in Pathway 4 of Housing for All – Pathway to Addressing Vacancy and Efficient Use of Existing Stock.
Housing for All committed to placing a renewed focus on RLS and has set ambitious targets for its duration. In line with this commitment, a pilot expansion to the scheme targeting the conversion of vacant commercial / institutional premises commenced in June 2022 and in July 2023, I increased the loan available for repair works to €80,000 (including VAT) per individual home provided.
Departmental approval is required for projects that contain more than 4 units. Local authorities have delegated sanction for projects of less than 4 units. The total number of applications submitted to my Department by Kerry County Council in 2023 is outlined in the below table.
|
Local Authority |
Number of applications submitted to the Department for approval in 2023 |
Number of finished units proposed from applications submitted in 2023 |
|
Kerry |
2 |
17 (1x11 units, 1 x 6 units) |
My Department also collects data regarding the number of repair and leasing applications received by each local authority on a quarterly basis. This information is available at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/
