Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 January 2024
314. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many houses have been purchased, broken down by each local authority, under the tenant-in-situ scheme; how much money has been allocated to each local authority for purchasing houses under this scheme for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3617/24]
View answer343. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details from the local authorities in relation to what the average processing time is for a tenant under the tenant-in-situ scheme. [4181/24]
View answer344. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details from the local authorities in relation to how many landlords in Dublin have applied for the tenant-in-situ scheme, only to subsequently withdraw, since the scheme commenced. [4182/24]
View answer345. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details from the local authority in relation to how many landlords in Fingal have applied for the tenant-in-situ scheme, and how many have withdrawn their applications since the scheme began. [4183/24]
View answer346. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details from the local authorities which outlines the stages of the tenant-in-situ scheme, step by step. [4184/24]
View answer347. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details from the local authorities on whether applicants are subject to Garda vetting in the tenant-in-situ scheme; and if so, why. [4185/24]
View answer348. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details from the local authorities on whether the tenant-in-situ scheme progresses during Garda vetting; or if it is delayed until completion. [4186/24]
View answer349. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details from the local authorities on when a tenant-in-situ scheme is transferred from one council to another in Dublin; and if the application start date is based on when the documentation was first submitted or when it is transferred to the other council. [4187/24]
View answer350. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details from the local authority in relation to how many staff are currently working on the tenant-in-situ scheme at Fingal County Council. [4188/24]
View answer351. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details from the local authority in relation to how many tenant-in-situ applications have been received in Fingal County Council since the scheme commenced; and how many properties the council bought. [4189/24]
View answer352. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what steps he will take to intervene in the tenant-in-situ scheme to prevent further delays in his own constituency and others; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4190/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 314, 343, 344, 345, 346, 347, 348, 349, 350, 351 and 352 together.
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. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new build projects delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).
Social Housing is delivered through a range of local authority and Approved Housing Body (AHB) delivery programmes across the build acquisition and lease delivery streams.
For 2023, the Government agreed that there would be increased provision for social housing acquisitions and my Department provided funding local authorities to acquire at least 1,500 social homes. The additional acquisitions have focused on properties where a tenant is in receipt of social housing supports and has received a Notice of Termination due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property. My Department issued a circular letter in March 2023, setting out details of these arrangements and each local authority was provided with a provisional allocation for social housing acquisitions in 2023.
Local authorities have delegated sanction in relation to these acquisitions, subject to those acquisitions being within Acquisition Cost Guidelines issued by the Department. An independent valuation must also be obtained for each acquisition, in line with established practice for local authorities for social housing acquisitions. The current Acquisition Cost Guidelines (ACGs) were updated and issued to local authorities in April 2023. These guidelines are reviewed and updated as appropriate by my Department usually on an annual basis.
Where a household is on the housing list in one local authority but has secured a HAP tenancy in another local authority area, the arrangements in place will support the acquisition of the property, where appropriate. The City and County Management Association (CCMA) issued guidance for such acquisitions and local authorities are collaborating in such situations.
Local authorities will work with all social housing supported tenants who receive a Notice of Termination and offer the available supports, which may include a tenant in situ acquisition or support to obtain an alternative tenancy, including a HAP-supported tenancy or an allocation to local authority stock. It is a matter for individual local authorities to identify suitable acquisitions in line with local circumstances and their social housing allocations policy. My Department does not hold data on the number of social housing acquisitions applications that have been withdrawn or rejected, nor does it hold data on the timelines or process steps for such acquisitions. Further information may be available from individual local authorities.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social and affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority, including completed acquisitions. From 2023, this data includes a breakdown of acquisitions completed by each local authority where a Notice of Termination issued to a tenant and is available, for all local authorities, to the end of Quarter 3 2023 on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/.
