Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 January 2025
741. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason for the ending of tenant in situ scheme funding to local authorities, like Galway City Council; if he will immediately address this to support local authorities in preventing homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46772/24]
View answer758. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he has suspended the tenant-in-situ scheme pending the formation of a new Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46879/24]
View answer790. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the acquisitions allocation will be provided to each local authority for 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1546/25]
View answer829. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the tenant-in-situ purchase scheme operated by county councils where tenants are facing eviction; if it has been suspended in some or all local authorities; when it will be operational again; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2083/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 741, 758, 790 and 829 together.
The Tenant in Situ Acquisitions Programme was introduced by way of Government decision in 2023. It was originally intended as a short term response to the reported uplift in sales by landlords of homes which were within the HAP and RAS schemes in order to prevent potential homelessness where other solutions could not be found for the affected tenants.
A further Government decision extended the programme into 2024 with approval granted for 1,300 Tenant in Situ acquisitions in addition to the 200 priority acquisitions target for 2024 contained in Housing for All. Any decision in relation to a further extension of the Tenant in Situ scheme into 2025 will be a matter for the new Government.
Local authorities are asked to take appropriate steps to ensure that their first response will be to support households to prevent homelessness in cases where tenants have been served with a notice of termination by their landlord. A local authority will assess the options available in each case and decide the appropriate action. Local authorities should explore all available options to prevent homeless before proceeding with an acquisition.
These options include securing the continuation of the tenancy with the landlord, securing alternative accommodation through the Housing Assistance Payment Placefinder, allocating another Rental Accommodation Scheme property, or allocating a social housing tenancy, including voids, untenanted properties or properties available with an Approved Housing Body.
It is a matter for individual local authorities to identify suitable acquisitions in line with local circumstances and their social housing allocations policy and, as such, tenants in receipt of a Notice of Termination from their landlord should contact their local County Council directly.
In discussions with individual local authorities in the closing weeks of 2024 every effort was made to ensure that each authority was facilitated in completing and recouping the costs of their 2024 acquisitions in line with the Government decision and their individual allocations which were notified to them in March, 2024. My Department has also been updating local authorities on the current position regarding the 2025 acquisitions programme in individual engagements and also in plenary discussions with the CCMA Housing Committee and Executive.
Local Authorities will be updated by way of Circular on any changes to the 2025 acquisitions programme above Housing for All targets consequent upon any Government decision in that regard.
