Written Answers Nos. 212-221
213. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of local authority mortgages that were drawn down in 2023 and the average value of the mortgages drawn down. [2228/24]
View answerThe Local Authority Home Loan (LAHL) is a Government-backed mortgage for creditworthy applicants 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.
The Housing Agency provides a central support service that assesses applications for the Local Authority Home Loan and its predecessor the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan, on behalf of local authorities and makes recommendations to the authorities to approve or refuse applications.
The final decision on loan approval is a matter for the relevant 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 Regulations establishing the scheme and the credit policy that underpins the scheme, in order to ensure prudence and consistency in approaches in the best interests of both borrowers and the lending local authorities.
My Department regularly publishes information on the number and value of (i) local authority loan approvals and (ii) local authority loan drawdowns for both the Local Authority Home Loan. Local authority approval means that an official letter of offer has been sent to a borrower. My Department does not collect statistics on the number of applications submitted to Local Authorities.
Information on drawdowns, approvals, average drawdowns, and average approvals for the Local Authority Home Loan up to Q2 2023 is available on my Department’s website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/42d2f-local-authority-loan-activity/#local-authority-loans-approvedpaid.
214. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of first home scheme shared equity loans drawn down in 2023 and the average amount of the draw down. [2229/24]
View answerThe First Home Scheme, launched on 7 July 2022, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. Details are available at: www.firsthomescheme.ie.
The Scheme is overseen and managed by the First Home Scheme Ireland Designated Activity Company (First Home Scheme DAC), on behalf of scheme founders (the State and participating mortgage lenders). This body is responsible for collating and issuing statistical information as it pertains to the scheme.
The First Home DAC has published its Q4 2023 Public Update, covering the period to 31 December 2023, which can be found on its website at: www.firsthomescheme.ie/media/ztwdc5rm/2023-q4-update.pdf.
215. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total expenditure in 2023 on social and affordable housing funded through SHIP, CALF, CAS, AHF, CREL, AHB borrowing and LDA expenditure. [2230/24]
View answer2023 Housing expenditure, including for the delivery of social and affordable homes, is currently being finalised and will be published in due course.
216. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the report from the AHB Unencumbered Units Working Group will be published. [2238/24]
View answerThe AHB Unencumbered Units Working Group Report was published on my Department's website on 19 October 2023.
This report is available at the following link - www.gov.ie/en/publication/776db-ahb-unencumbered-units-working-group-report/ .
217. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update, including approximate timelines for the progression of legislative phases in both the Dáil and Seanad, on the Marine Protected Areas Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2243/24]
View answerThe Government is committed to achieving 30% Marine Protected Area (MPA) coverage of Ireland's Maritime Area by 2030, in line with the Programme for Government, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and a number of International initiatives such as the UN post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. To this end my Department has been working in close collaboration with parliamentary drafters over the past several months to develop the Marine Protected Areas Bill and I anticipate that the Bill will be ready for publication in the first quarter of 2024.The progression of legislation is solely a matter for the Oireachtas. Nevertheless, I hope that the Bill will be enacted as speedily as possible.
218. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has any plans to acquire a property in County Clare (details supplied). [2260/24]
View answerIn respect of acquiring or accepting properties, my Department acquires heritage structures and monuments, which are either of national importance or strategic importance, from time to time as resources and opportunities permit. Usually this is in the interests of the preservation, conservation and management of monuments or sites. Such acquisitions are considered within the context of available resources which includes public expenditure management considerations.
In all cases, my Department assesses potential acquisitions carefully, taking into consideration similar existing properties within the State portfolio, gaps in the State portfolio, any conservation works required, and the cost of acquisition and maintenance over the short and longer term to the Exchequer. Accordingly, my Department is only ever in a position to make a very limited number of heritage acquisitions as all related expenditure must be met from within existing voted allocations.The property which you refer to has not been considered for acquisition by the National Monuments Service.
219. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ensure that the Housing Agency is adequately resourced to service the enhanced defective concrete blocks grant scheme and to ensure that the backlog of applications is worked through as swiftly as possible. [2263/24]
View answerMy Department approves an annual budget for the Housing Agency in respect of its role in the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks scheme. This funding is to cover the operational costs of a regional office, payments due to framework consultants and professional support and costs. My Department is committed to ensuring that the Housing Agency will continue to have the appropriate level of resources necessary to fully meet their responsibilities under the new Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme across all the counties covered by the Scheme.
The Housing Agency determines the priority in which it may assess dwellings, both under the initial damage threshold (BCA) application stage and the remediation option grant assessment stage. Prior to the enhanced scheme commencing the Housing Agency committed to a Damage Threshold Determination issuing within 60 days of the referral date received for counties Mayo and Donegal. To date the Housing Agency has adhered to these timeframes.
220. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will formally communicate with a local authority on the terms of a scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2275/24]
View answerI announced the successful applications under a new funding measure for waste water collection and treatment needs of villages without access to public waste water services on 7 December 2023.
I can confirm that my Department will be writing to the local authorities concerning all the applications shortly.
221. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the guidelines set out in section 4.2.4 of the national guidelines for the assessment and allocation process for social housing provision for people with a disability, in relation to the time scale of processing applications, have a statutory footing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2289/24]
View answerThe purpose of the 2017 National Guidelines for the Assessment and Allocation Process for Social Housing Provision for People with a Disability is to assist in streamlining the management of the housing assessment and allocation process for disabled people, including those living in the community and those transitioning to the community from residential care. The Guidelines are intended to support housing authorities in carrying out assessments of housing need for disabled people within a planned and structured framework to ensure that their needs can be assessed as effectively as possible in a timely manner.
Applications 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 allocation of local authority dwellings, including the prioritisation of certain households, is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with their allocation schemes made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations. Regulation 12 of the 2011 Regulations prescribes the timescales for the processing of applications by local authorities and provides that, subject to conditions, a local authority shall deal with an application within a period of 12 weeks. Local authorities will prioritise housing needs assessments for those in greatest need and ensure that such applications are dealt with within time-frames that are significantly shorter that the statutory maximum.
The 2017 Guidelines will be revised under the Implementation Plan for the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027 which was launched in June 2023.
