Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 9 Mar 2023

Vol. 1035 No. 3

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions

Housing Provision

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Ceist:

86. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider local authorities’ definition of "adequately housed" whereby grown adults still living in their parents’ home are deemed to be "adequately housed" and not included on the social housing list, and, while meeting income limits and other criteria, are forced into the private rented sector to get onto the social housing waiting lists, thereby putting more pressure on the HAP rented sector; if he will consider allowing persons in this category to get on social housing waiting lists while still living at home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11317/23]

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

Will the Minister of State consider local authorities' definition of "adequately housed", where grown adults are living in their parents' home or another house, are deemed to be adequately housed and, on that basis, are not then included on the social housing list? They meet the other criteria like income thresholds and such. In some cases they feel they are forced into seeking private rentals, which reduces supply, and we all know the issues that exist in relation to supply, especially with the removal of the eviction ban. It is a small solution we need to look at.

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Deputy Malcolm Noonan)

Adult children living with their parents can apply for and be deemed to qualify for social housing support, subject to meeting the eligibility and need criteria set down in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated social housing assessment regulations. Once qualified, such applicants are automatically placed on the relevant local authority waiting list. They do not need to move into the private rented sector to be placed on the list, so it is important to clarify that. Indeed, the summary of social housing assessments, which measures the number and composition of households on the waiting list, includes a category of applicants qualified for social housing but who remain living with their parents. The most recent summary, conducted in November 2021, is available on our Department's website. It shows 25% of households qualified for support are adult children living with their parents.

Local authorities consider an applicant's existing accommodation arrangements, including where they are living with their parents, when prioritising the allocation of a dwelling. Applicants living with their parents may be considered a lower priority compared with other applicants, such as those in homeless or other precarious accommodation. Such decisions are matters entirely for local authorities themselves in accordance with their respective statutory allocation schemes and their day-to-day management of the social housing system.

I will come back with the specifics on County Louth, but just to clarify, it is the case that adults living with their parents can be deemed to qualify for social housing support.

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

I will come back on that because there are a huge number of people who find that, if they are living in their parents' home, they will be told they are adequately housed. If someone is in a situation of technical overcrowding or whatever, he or she will then be eligible to get on the housing list. This is something that needs to be looked at because the problem is people are being forced into the private rental sector so they at least feel they are clocking time on the housing list. Everyone is aware they will be waiting for six, seven or eight years. This needs to be looked at at departmental level and then a directive or whatever else and a discussion needs to happen with local authorities, including Louth County Council, about this. I will be very interested in the Minister of State's answer to that.

Deputy Malcolm Noonan

I thank the Deputy. Again just to state, it is down to the constituent local authorities to deem the priorities for eligibility for social housing. They do that very effectively throughout the country, and that is critically important. The fact is adult children can be and are deemed to qualify for social housing support in the Deputy's county, County Louth. Some 355 households or 27% of those on the housing waiting list are adult children living with parents, so it is not an insignificant number. It is the priority for that local authority, like it is for other local authorities, to assess housing based on the absolute and most urgent need for housing. The number of households on waiting lists has decreased from 32,353 households compared with the assessment conducted in September 2016, so we are seeing positive trends in terms of reductions.

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

I request that some clarity and a directive be given out on this basis because we have a particular problem at this time and it is reducing supply. We all know the issues that exist and that they will get worse. We are already dealing with people who are in absolute fear of evictions. We have had the removal of the eviction ban and I cannot imagine how I, my office and some of our councillors will deal with this. I had hoped I already had that answer on some level and I was going to ask for my usual leeway regarding questions.

What are the departmental rules on the purchases of long-term rentals with the council where the landlord is looking to sell? There have been issues in the recent past. I know Louth County Council has purchased a number of houses where people were in HAP tenancies, but we need to look at streamlining the conditions, probably across every local authority.

Deputy Malcolm Noonan

The issue is certainly not coming from a want in our Department. In terms of the schemes and capital acquisitions, I believe there will be 1,500 this year, and the Minister has given a commitment to pushing that forward if the demand exists.

Regarding the prioritisation of applicants in accordance with the local authority's allocation scheme, it is the reserved function of the elected members of a local authority to make those priorities in accordance with the Housing Act. That is critically important.

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

They will get HAP tenancies, but it is a workaround. They cannot stay in that house.

Deputy Malcolm Noonan

I appreciate the point the Deputy makes but the critical point is that the responsibility lies with individual local authorities. The schemes, supports and certainly the funding are in place but local authorities need to be proactive in this regard.

Wind Energy Guidelines

Seán Canney

Ceist:

87. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will suspend planning applications for onshore wind turbine developments until the planning guidelines for such developments are updated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11921/23]

Deputy Seán Canney

A very large number of applications are being made for onshore wind turbine projects but the planning guidelines were produced in 2006 and need to be updated. Will applications for these planning permissions be suspended until the guidelines are updated?

Deputy Malcolm Noonan

My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 wind energy development guidelines, which the Deputy referenced. The review is addressing a number of key aspects, including noise, set-back distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. I am aware there are a great many applications throughout the country. Guidance on the noise aspect is currently being finalised by my Department in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, which has primary responsibility for environmental noise matters. In this connection that Department is due to procure an acoustic expert shortly to inform any amendments to the noise aspect of the guidelines. This is quite a technical piece of work and I appreciate it will take some time. Following this, my Department will be in a better position to provide an update on the expected publication date of the revised guidelines. It should also be noted that the review of the guidelines has been included as a specific action in the recently published Climate Action Plan 2023.

Proposals for wind energy developments are subject to the statutory requirements of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, in the same manner as other forms of proposed development. As such, I have no plans to place a moratorium on planning applications for wind energy developments pending the finalisation of the revised guidelines.

It is also important to state that the existing 2006 guidelines are still in place and are still used for the purposes of consideration of individual planning applications. The planning policy in the legislative framework is already in place. We await and obviously are all eagerly anticipating the revised guidelines coming forward.

Deputy Seán Canney

I thank the Minister of State. There are two projects in my constituency at the moment where the size of the turbines is far beyond anything that was contemplated back in 2006. Further information has come from research on the noise. It is called sonic noise, which is a silent noise that affects people. There is also the question of the proximity to residents. All of this information is coming out in the vacuum. Where there are hundreds of houses within 1 km of one of these projects, the Minister of State can just imagine how communities are rising up against such projects. The promoters of these projects are not actually communicating other than dropping something in a letterbox. They are also being slick with the landowners when talking to them. They are not doing any public consultation or actually engaging with communities.

Deputy Malcolm Noonan

I stress that, whatever the project, be it a wind energy project or any development, it is critically important and there is a need for the proposers of a project to engage in a meaningful way. There is an obligation to do so under the public participation directive in the Aarhaus Convention. It is important to stress that it is no longer good enough just to drop leaflets in letterboxes. It is important to engage through public meetings and public events at the preplanning stage. Certainly, to my understanding, the new guidelines will reference that, as do the existing guidelines. In developing the new guidelines, we have a challenge with the noise aspect issue, which is technical in nature, and it is important to get that right. We have existing guidelines in place which include elements around public participation, as do county development plans. It is important there is meaningful engagement and that it is not tokenistic and not box-ticking consultation.

Deputy Seán Canney

I can assure the Minister of State that, on the two projects I am dealing with at the moment, it is a box-ticking exercise. The first that people knew about it was when a letter came in the door. There was a public meeting coming up, and the day before the public meeting, another drop was put into letter boxes. Any engagement with the agent has consisted of comments such as “I do not know” or “I will come back to you”. I rang the agent for one of the projects about six months ago. I posed six questions and still await the answers. Effectively what is happening is that what should be a good thing, creating green energy, is being turned into projects that divide communities. We are handling it wrongly. We are ceding control to investors. I am not talking about vulture funds but investors. We do not know who they are. They will not attend a public meeting or make their case. They are playing mind games, trying to divide communities, setting people against one another and causing division. That is the last thing we need. That is what is happening right now in Clonbern and Belclare, where both these projects are taking place. Farmers are also being hoodwinked. It is wrong and needs immediate action.

Deputy Malcolm Noonan

While I will not go into the specifics of any application, the three Ministers here are in full agreement that it is unacceptable that there is this lack of engagement. It is critically important, and I will stress this again, that engagement is meaningful, timely, done at preplanning stage and in a way that is participative and inclusive. Any proposer of any project needs to adhere to this. I will say as a general point that proposers on any project need to ensure they are in full compliance with the Aarhaus Convention and with the public participation directive and ensure engagement is meaningful with the whole community. As Deputy Canney said, in the absence of information, all sorts of speculation and rumours become rife. People need facts, to be informed to be able to make informed decisions, and to participate adequately and properly in the planning process.

Vacant Properties

Thomas Gould

Ceist:

88. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the deterrents he is progressing, or plans to progress, to tackle vacancy and dereliction. [11827/23]

Seán Haughey

Ceist:

121. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a report on the Vacant Homes Action Plan 2023-2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11591/23]

Seán Canney

Ceist:

139. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will extend the Croí Cónaithe scheme to include vacant houses that can be refurbished for rental purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11919/23]

David Stanton

Ceist:

141. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on the impact of the repair and leasing scheme and on the vacant property refurbishment grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11614/23]

Cian O'Callaghan

Ceist:

146. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will introduce compulsory rental orders to tackle vacancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11822/23]

Deputy Thomas Gould

Will the Minister of State outline the processes being put forward or that are planned to be put forward to tackle vacancy and dereliction? In 2021, 19 local authorities did not collect a red cent under the Derelict Sites Act, which has been in place for 32 years. The ban on eviction has been removed this week and derelict sites that could house people are lying idle.

Deputy Kieran O'Donnell

I propose to take Questions Nos. 88, 121, 139, 141 and 146 together.

It is great to see so many Deputies here on this particular issue. Tackling vacancy is a key priority for this Government. Housing for All sets out a suite of measures to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. Significant progress is being made and I welcome the opportunity to mention briefly progress on some of those. For example, the Government launched the town centre first policy, a major new policy initiative that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres; €150 million for an urban regeneration development fund is being made available for local authorities to acquire vacant or derelict properties and sites for reuse or sale; full-time vacant homes officers are now in place across 30 of the 31 local authorities and the one outstanding local authority has advertised the post; and the Croí Cónaithe towns fund is successfully supporting the refurbishment of vacant and derelict properties through vacant homes refurbishment grants and the provision of serviced sites for people to build their own homes through the ready to build scheme. We have extended planning regulations that exempt certain vacant commercial premises from requiring planning permission for change of use for residential purposes, and we will shortly introduce a new programme for the CPO of vacant properties for resale on the open market. We are looking to do 2,500 of those over the next number of years.

One of the actions taken by the Government has been the introduction of the vacant property refurbishment grant. A grant of up to a maximum of €30,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence, including the conversion of a property which has not previously been used as a residence. Where the refurbishment costs are expected to exceed the standard grant of up to €30,000, a maximum top-up grant amount of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed to be derelict, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €50,000.

The feedback on the grant has been very positive, with 1,250 applications reported to date. The grant is focused on providing homes for applicants.

While there are no plans to extend the refurbishment grant to allow for rental properties, the repair and leasing scheme is already available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for rental purposes. The scheme is a crucial initiative in tackling vacancy under Housing for All in addition to providing social housing. The scheme provides an upfront loan to a maximum of €60,000, including VAT, per unit to owners of vacant properties which require work to bring the units up to the required standard for rental. In return, the property is made available for social housing for a period of between five and 25 years. The cost of repairs is offset against reduced lease payments to the property owner. Since its introduction, almost 350 properties have been brought back into use.

The vacant homes action plan, which was launched in January, outlines all of the progress that has been made in addressing vacancy along with the actions that are being pursued to return as many vacant properties as possible back to viable use. As part of the plan, my Department will shortly introduce a new programme for the compulsory purchase, CPO, of vacant properties for resale on the open market. The action plan also contains a commitment to examine the potential use of compulsory sales orders. In this context, my Department will also consider the use of compulsory rental orders to give local authorities the power to acquire certain vacant properties for rent.

The most efficient home to deliver is the one which already exists. I firmly believe the commitment this Government has made to addressing vacancy and dereliction will continue to play a vital role in delivering homes and revitalising local communities. The Department is engaging directly with local authorities on this issue, in terms of vacant homes officers and derelict sites. There is active engagement as we speak.

Deputy Thomas Gould

The Minister of State has outlined a number of different proposals. The fact is none have made any difference. I challenge the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, the Minister or the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, to walk Dublin or Cork and see the amount of dereliction and vacancy. The Government's plan was to introduce a vacancy tax of 0.3%. France, for example, introduced a vacancy tax which started at 10% of the expected revenue the property would make, rising to 15%, resulting in a 13% reduction in vacancy over four years. The equivalent in this State would be more than 20,000 houses being brought back into use. None of the Government's plans are making a difference. We have a housing emergency. The ban on evictions has been lifted. People are looking at houses in every town and city. The Government is not moving fast enough. The ban will be lifted on 1 April.

Deputy Seán Canney

The Croí Cónaithe scheme is very good, and I congratulate the Government on bringing it in. It is helping and beginning to take off. There is a lot of interest in my office about it and many are inquiring about it. There are a few anomalies in the scheme, as is the case for all schemes. The first relates to the fact that a house has to have been vacant for two years. There are cases where an older person has passed away and the house has been handed over to a child, grandchild or whoever, and they want to renovate it because it is run down. There should be something to help such people. A second house on a farm may have fallen derelict and perhaps there is no son or daughter to take it up. If such houses were brought back into use for rental purposes, it would help. I know of a proposal to convert three offices into housing. The owner applied for an exemption certificate but was refused. Such cases have to be re-examined.

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy Kathleen Funchion)

I ask Deputies to adhere to their time as there are a lot of questions in this group.

Deputy David Stanton

Was I correct when I heard the Minister of State say only 250 properties have been dealt with under the repair and leasing scheme since it began?

Deputy Kieran O'Donnell

It is 350 to date.

Deputy David Stanton

Would the Minister of State agree that is a very small number and indicates there is something wrong with the scheme? The suggestion he made in an earlier response to allow people to rent in the private market rather than to the local authority might be the way to go. Will the Minister of State tell me how many vacant homes officers are in place? How many are in County Cork, for instance? It is a very large county - three times the size of other counties. How many such officers funded by his Department are actively and exclusively working in this role?

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

My question is about compulsory rental orders. Last May, the Minister said he was open to the idea. What has he done about them since? Has he looked into this? As he knows, on the night of the census there were 35,000 empty rental properties in the country. Part of the solution to the housing crisis is to make the best use we can of existing housing stock, in terms of the crisis we are in as well as sustainability. This has been done successfully in other countries and cities with particularly high housing demand. Is this being considered? What are the thoughts of the Minister? Is he considering introducing it? Will he give us an update on how he has progressed on this since his comments last May?

Deputy Kieran O'Donnell

Given that the Croí Cónaithe scheme was launched last November in certain rural areas and towns, a figure of 1,250 is a fair success so far. The repair and leasing scheme totals 350 properties, which comprise multiple units. The scheme is highly successful. There has been a publicity drive from the Department to get the information out as to how the scheme works. I encourage Deputies to tell people with vacant properties to avail of the scheme.

There are vacant homes officers in every local authority. We publicly stated during the last round of questions a month ago that in cases where local authorities wish to appoint additional vacant homes officers and they have a business case, they should make it to the Department. That particular area is an open book.

Deputy Canney acknowledged that Croí Cónaithe is a good scheme. I take his point on older people. It is something we will take into consideration. In many cases, people may be in a nursing home or so forth. The case he mentioned is valid. The rental side is not dealt with in the scheme, but we are open to looking at that and will take it on board.

In response to Deputy Stanton's comments on the repair and leasing scheme, the 350 properties involved comprise multiple units. I will get him the precise figure. There is a vacant homes officer in every local authority, except for Donegal which is currently recruiting. Regarding a previous question on local authorities applying for additional vacant homes officers, I took it upon myself to make inquiries. Cork has yet to make that application. It is important the Deputy goes back to that local authority. We are awaiting these requests, which have not yet come in.

Deputy O'Callaghan asked about CPOs for properties that are rented. That is being actively considered by the Department. It is something we are looking to do.

Deputy Thomas Gould

The Central Statistics Office, CSO, told us that, in 2021, there were 166,000 vacant properties in the State. The response of the Government was to introduce a levy of 0.3%. In the middle of a housing crisis, with the eviction ban ending on 1 April and a tsunami of homelessness coming at us for the summer, that was the plan. It is not good enough. The Minister of State failed to address this in his response. I hope he answers my next question.

The Derelict Sites Act has been in existence for 32 years, yet the Minister and Department are not enforcing it. How is that possible given we could be in the middle of a housing emergency and people are becoming homeless? When the ban on evictions was in place, homeless figures went up. We are now looking at a tsunami on 1 April. It is not good enough. More needs to be done. We need to start compulsorily purchasing derelict and vacant sites as soon as possible.

Deputy Seán Canney

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. There is one other anomaly in that a house must have been built before 1993. There are lots of houses built since then that are vacant because they were never completed. People emigrated because they ran out of work or whatever when the economy went bust. The houses are there, and there is potential to create more living accommodation.

I return to the point I made about the exemption from planning. I saw an example yesterday whereby permission was refused for the conversion of three units from commercial use to residential use even though there would be no proposed change to the overall structure. The reason given is that it was deemed to be a development rather than three units. I will bring the details of the case to the Minister. It is important for us to promote the scheme and also the other scheme the Minister mentioned because there is potential in them.

Deputy David Stanton

I am amazed that Cork County Council has not yet applied for the funding. I will go back to it. Perhaps someone from the council is listening. At one stage, the chief executive told me that he would need a vacant homes officer for every town in the county. Is there an onus on the Department to be more proactive and to push local authorities into appointing these officers and to ask them to report on a monthly basis to it regarding the progress they are making in terms of the number of vacant houses they have identified? We still do not know the full extent of what is happening. Perhaps An Post could be asked to report as well. Does the Minister agree that the number of vacant properties may be much higher than reported? Will he get some senior officials in the Department to focus on this matter in a proactive way? Is there a senior official or a team in the Department focusing on vacant homes and derelict homes? How many officials are involved and what are their grades? Are assistant secretaries dealing with the matter and are they reporting to the Minister on a weekly basis regarding progress across the country?

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. It is very welcome that this is being actively looked at by the Department. I take it from that it is being looked at as part of the review of the private rental sector. What is the timeline on that and could he indicate as well not just the timeline for the review but the potential timeline for any legislation on compulsory rental orders? It would be great if he could give us more detail on that.

Deputy Kieran O'Donnell

In response to Deputy Gould, the Croí Cónaithe scheme has just been announced. Furthermore, there is a vacant housing officer in every council. There is also a town centre first housing officer. In addition, there are derelict site teams within local authorities. We are introducing a vacant site tax.

Deputy Thomas Gould

It is 0.3%.

Deputy Kieran O'Donnell

The fundamental issue is that there is an action plan for vacant properties. The sum of €150 million has just been announced by the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, under the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, specifically to bring derelict sites back into use as homes. The resources are there, and we want to see action on the ground. We will work proactively with the local authorities on the derelict sites registers. Fundamentally, what we want to see is vacant sites around the country being brought back into use to provide home. That is happening.

Deputy Canney inquired about houses built after 1993. This is a matter of which we are conscious. A review is under way in respect of it.

In reply to Deputy Stanton, there is a section in the Department at a senior level that deals specifically with vacancy and that reports directly to the Minister. It is proactively engaging with local authorities. A meeting took place yesterday between all the vacant homes officers the length and breadth of the country and the Department. Further engagement is about to take place with councils on the URDF for town centres in order to get them to be proactive in bringing derelict sites back into use. No stone is being left unturned. The Minister met with the CEOs of all the local authorities last week. They are fully aware that they can apply for additional vacant homes officers. Ultimately, they must make the applications.

Deputy Stanton is a public representative for Cork East. He is coming here to represent the people. If a request is made and we agree to it, it will be up to the local authorities to be proactive and to make applications. If they are complaining to Deputy Stanton that the resources are not in place and if he gets a commitment from the Government that the resources are there, then I am sorry but the local authority needs to get the finger out and make the application.

Deputy Fergus O'Dowd

Hear, hear.

Deputy Kieran O'Donnell

In response to Deputy Cian O'Callaghan, we hope to have the review completed by the middle of this year. It is being worked on actively at the moment. It is a priority. We want it to be empirically based in order that any further measures put in place on the rental side will bear fruit.

Housing Policy

Brian Leddin

Ceist:

89. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the work his Department is doing to support and accelerate transit-oriented development, in particular medium-to-high density housing projects around high-capacity transport nodes in our urban areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11962/23]

Deputy Brian Leddin

I wish to ask the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the work his Department is doing to support and accelerate transit-oriented development, in particular medium-to-high density and high-quality housing projects around high-capacity transport nodes in urban areas. It very much applies to suburban areas as well. I also ask if the Minister of State will make a statement on the matter.

Deputy Malcolm Noonan

Housing for All is the Government's housing plan to 2030. The aim is to deliver an average of 33,000 new homes a year over the lifetime of this plan. Objective 26.1 is to "Establish a working group to consider opportunities for transport-led development in major urban centres" comprising membership from my Department, the Department of Transport, the National Transport Authority and the Land Development Agency, LDA.

In December 2021, my Department and the Department of Transport established a working group to consider opportunities for transit-oriented development in major urban centres under this action. The working group is currently reviewing opportunities for such developments in the five cities designated under the national planning framework, namely, Dublin, Cork, Limerick, which the Teachta will be interested in, Galway and Waterford. The intention is to identify brownfield and greenfield lands that are in close proximity to existing or proposed high-capacity public transport transit-oriented development, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, including local authorities. The focus in 2022 and early this year has been on Dublin and the group will look at the other four cities in 2023. Identification of these strategic sites will ensure future housing delivery is sustainable, and in line with our action against climate change. The housing must be sustainable, quality housing. The outputs from this work will inform work within both Departments in support of the national strategic outcomes of the national planning framework and Project Ireland 2040, in particular legislative and policy proposals relating to compact growth and sustainable mobility.

I am aware the Deputy has a particular interest in the LDA's plan for Colbert Station, which we have previously spoken about, and the urgency in progressing that. I will refer to it in my supplementary reply. I will also refer to the Limerick-Shannon metropolitan area transport strategy. It is critically important that we achieve high density and high-quality residential projects. This is as much about transport as it is about development.

Deputy Brian Leddin

I thank the Minister of State for the reply. He referred to the Colbert Quarter in Limerick, a very ambitious LDA project for residential and mixed-use development. It will support thousands of people to live and work in the heart of Limerick city, right beside Colbert Station.

I recognise the work of the working group that was set up in December 2021. Its focus has been on Dublin up to now. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, will know the project very well. We must start to focus on the other cities. Limerick has incredible potential for transit-oriented development, and not just in the Colbert Quarter around the main train station. The transport strategy supports the development of further train stations around the underutilised lines. Limerick is unique in the Irish context in that we have four lines going in and out of the city and there is provision in the transport strategy for multiple train stations around Limerick. We should look at this not simply as a transport strategy but as a housing development strategy as well. There is potential for housing around all of the transport nodes in Limerick.

Deputy Malcolm Noonan

I agree wholeheartedly. In preparation for today’s questions, I looked at the National Economic and Social Council, NESC, report into transport-orientated development and the need, throughout central and local government, to align it through the sustainable development goals, in particular those relating to sustainable cities and communities, the national planning framework and, as the Deputy noted, the role of the LDA in the Colbert Quarter. It is critical that we progress work relating to the other major urban centres. On Monday, there was a major announcement regarding the development of the Waterford quays. The NESC research recognises transport-orientated development and its role in underpinning affordable housing and sustainable urban development. We need to include this urban view in the context even of the nature restoration law. If the urban agenda is to be included in that, we will need to disincentivise urban sprawl. That is why the critical element of this relates to transport and linking it with sustainable urban development.

Deputy Brian Leddin

I re-emphasise the potential of Limerick, but I think that potential exists in all Irish cities. It is not just about rail transport but also about developing bus networks and housing in conjunction with that.

I take the train, as does the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, to and from Dublin every week. We pass through Portlaoise and we can see that town developing at pace because of the opportunity provided by the rail service between Portlaoise and Dublin. Developers, that is, the private sector, are responding to the service that exists in Portlaoise and high-density and high-quality development is happening in places such as that.

There is potential throughout the country and that is in the context of the national planning framework. There will be an additional 1 million people in this country by 2040. We have to think about where they will live and we have to make it easy for them to get around. When we are making decisions about development, we should put that development where the high-capacity transport network is.

Deputy Malcolm Noonan

Again, I agree wholeheartedly. The Department has invested significant moneys from the URDF in the Opera site in Limerick. This is not just about the large urban centres; it is also about smaller urban centres. Road projects and, perhaps, unsustainable projects in some locations will need to be reconsidered. The NESC research is clear. It states that we must build on the vision set out in Project Ireland 2040 in order to maximise the number of homes, jobs, services and amenities close to nodes at which frequent and high-quality transport can be accessed. This is relates to key locations and looking at new institutional arrangements and funding mechanisms. The Government will not be found wanting in this regard. We must align what is proposed here with Housing for All and all of our wider ambitions. It is critical that local authorities be skilled to meet these challenges as well.

Question No. 90 taken with Written Answers.

Vacant Properties

Fergus O'Dowd

Ceist:

91. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there are any further plans to amend existing regulations exempting certain types of vacant commercial premises from planning permission in order to maximise the number of vacant units being brought back into use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11866/23]

Willie O'Dea

Ceist:

143. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the notifications received by local authorities under planning permission exemptions for converting certain vacant commercial properties into homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11596/23]

Deputy Fergus O'Dowd

One hundred years ago, many people lived above commercial premises in the centre of Drogheda. Today, very few people live there. What further and additional regulations can he amend- obviously, I exclude those relating to health and safety - in order to encourage more people to live in the centre of our towns and over commercial premises nationally.

Deputy Kieran O'Donnell

I propose to take Questions No. 91 and 143 together.

Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, all development, unless specifically exempted under the Act or associated regulations, requires planning permission. Exemptions from the requirement to obtain planning permission in respect of specific forms of development are provided for when they are considered to be consistent with proper planning and sustainable development. The Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2018 provided for an exemption, until the end of 2021, from the requirement to obtain planning permission in respect of the change of use of certain vacant commercial premises, including vacant or underutilised areas over ground-floor shops and offices, to residential use. This measure was aimed at facilitating the productive reuse of qualifying vacant commercial buildings as homes while also facilitating urban renewal and the bringing on stream of increased housing supply.

Under Housing for All, the 2018 regulations were subsequently extended to the end of 2025 by way of the Planning and Development (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022. These regulations included a new class of premises eligible to avail of the planning exemption, namely, public houses capable of providing up to a maximum of nine residential units. The inclusion of this new exemption class is designed to ease the burden of converting public houses that are no longer viable and have ceased to operate, of which there are many in our cities, towns and villages, to residential accommodation.

Since the planning exemptions for the conversion of vacant commercial premises were first introduced in 2018, local authorities have received a total of 898 notifications relating to the provision of 2,066 additional homes. In 2022, further to the extension of the measure to include vacant public houses, local authorities received specific notifications in respect of the conversion of 53 public houses, with a view to providing a total of 169 homes from these conversions.

These planning exemptions are among a package of measures outlined in the vacant homes action plan, including the vacant property refurbishment grant, aimed at bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. A table containing the information requested regarding the change-of-use notifications received, as per the most recent returns from local authorities, relating to the years 2018 to 2022, will be circulated. While I have no plans to introduce any further planning exemptions in this area at this point, I propose to keep further measures in this area under review. I would like to hear the Deputy's views on whether there are specific areas where there is scope for giving flexibility around planning.

Deputy Fergus O'Dowd

I congratulate the Minister of State on his recent appointment. I have sat here in the Chamber with him for a number of years, and he and I both know how we feel and think about things.

I recently met the owners of property in the centre of Drogheda. They are local people who own substantial levels of property. They were aware of the exemptions but they felt they did not have enough knowledge, which is why I met them to further their proposals. There were concerns, appropriately and properly, about fire safety and so on, and I reiterate what I said about how there can be no issue of compromise with regard to health and safety. We need a proactive team, whether that is regionally or nationally based, to advise property owners as to what the exemptions are and how they could plan and design the properties. They are worried about the cost of consultancies and so on, and it might be necessary to grant aid to people to meet certain additional costs such as fire safety precautions or whatever they are.

These people would like to go ahead and have those premises occupied. They provide a service in the centre of town. One hundred years ago, as we all know, all our towns were filled with families and they were lively places at night and during the day, whereas now they are empty and dead. I appreciate the Minister of State's question. Will he consider setting up a unit in the Department, perhaps through chambers of commerce and so on, to get a plan together and provide the professional advice that is essential to these people to encourage them further?

Deputy Kieran O'Donnell

I thank the Deputy. Vacant home officers are now in situ in every local authority, including that in Louth. Their role is to go out proactively and bring vacant units back into use. Traditionally, people would have rung the planning officer, but that takes some time. We will look to see whether we can expand the role of the vacant home officers to incorporate the planning aspect. Clearly, the local authority, in any area, is the fountain of knowledge in that area. We want the local authorities to be proactive. We will take this up with the Department. We have put in resources to provide additional vacant homes officers, and there are also town centre officers as well as people dealing with derelict sites. We are determining whether we can put units in place in each local authority to provide that people will be able to pick up the phone and ask whether they are exempt.

Deputy Fergus O'Dowd

These properties are vacant today. I hear what the Minister of State is saying but we need a driver.

I am not condemning the current vacant homes officers, but most of them were doing other jobs previously. That is the reality. They were not doing anything in this area.

I accept and acknowledge what the Minister of State said about housing, particularly in the context of his recent visit to Drogheda. The Minister, along with the local authority, has put in place the capacity to build 5,000 more homes in the town. This means that there will be an increase of 20,000 in the number of people living in Drogheda over the next ten years. At that point, it will be a city. It is wrong to state, as other people who are not here do, that there is lack of progress. There has been significant progress, but more needs to be done.

Louth County Council has informed one of my constituents that it has been told that it cannot enter into any more long-term leases for houses. Some guy offered a property to the local authority on a long-term lease and it told him that the Department has been refusing any new requests since last year. If I could get an answer in respect of that matter, I would be grateful.

Deputy Kieran O'Donnell

On the first point, there are now vacant home officers. The salary was increased specifically for that purpose. We can build around them on the issues on the planning side as well.

In recent days, the Government sanctioned the provision of an additional 1,000 homes for lease. That message is going out loud and clear to local authorities. That is now Government policy and it should be reflected in Louth.

Question No. 92 taken with Written Answers.

Housing Schemes

Cian O'Callaghan

Ceist:

93. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the delivery of affordable purchase and cost-rental housing; if the targets for 2022 set out in Housing for All were met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11820/23]

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

Will the Minister indicate how many affordable purchase and cost-rental homes were delivered in 2022? Did he reach his targets in this regard? If not, can he provide some information on the position?

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

As the Deputy will be aware, a very ambitious programme of delivery of affordable housing - the first in at least 15 years - commenced in 2022. Under the schemes introduced via the Affordable Housing Act 2021, this saw significant delivery of cost-rental homes for the first time by approved housing bodies and also by one local authority that is expanding further. That was using the cost rental equity loan. The first cost-rental and affordable purchase homes were also delivered via the LDA, and the first affordable homes for purchase were made available through the first home scheme and by local authorities. Last year was significant in that we had the delivery of affordable housing for the first time in a very long time.

Under the affordable housing fund, my Department and I have already approved funding of over €210 million in respect of 42 specific projects across 15 local authority areas. The local authorities in question will assist in the delivery of more than 2,800 affordable homes for purchase or rent. I assure the Deputy that the momentum in this regard will continue through 2023. The pipeline for housing delivery in place has been developed by local authorities, by the AHBs, and by the LDA, as well as, crucially, making homes available through the first home scheme, for which, I am glad to say, there is incredible demand.

Local authorities have begun systematically collating information on delivery of affordable homes right across the country in 2022. That includes all the delivery mechanisms that I have already mentioned. The returns will be submitted to me shortly. They are being validated by local authorities. They are currently being verified by my Department. I expect that they will be in a position to report the confirmed figures for social, affordable purchase and cost-rental delivery in 2022 by the end of this quarter, namely, this month, or certainly before Easter. That is what I want to do. We are verifying the returns that have come in.

In addition, the first home scheme has confirmed that in its first six months up to the end of December, more than 750 approvals were issued.

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

I thank the Minister for the reply. He has been able to give us and the media quite solid estimates in respect of social housing delivery for last year. I appreciate that all the information may not yet be available. The Minister may not have the exact figure, but can he give us a general indication of cost-rental and affordable house purchase delivery for 2022? Is he in a position to outline the number of houses provided by local authorities or not-for-profit organisations and housing co-operatives as well? Can he give us indicative figures for those in order that we might have the same sort of insight as we have in respect of social housing delivery?

I need not make the point that getting as much delivery as possible in these areas - as well as social housing - is incredibly important in terms of the challenges we have with record levels of homelessness, record rents and record house prices. This county has been successful in terms of providing affordable purchase homes throughout its history. We need to get back to doing that again.

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

I agree with the Deputy. In the interests of co-operation, I will not highlight the fact that we have different views on affordable housing and how it is delivered.

The first home scheme was the main deliverer last year. I can be quite specific on those approvals because I get that data on a weekly basis. Up to the Friday before last, there were approximately 1,100 first home approvals. That covers last year and the start of this year. Up to the end of last year, there were approximately 750 approvals, that is, equity certificates issued and applications put through. We have had over 3,500 registrations for the scheme. That is increasing. We are issuing approvals at a rate of approximately 80 to 100 every week. The Deputy disagrees with the scheme. That is fine.

I do not have the same estimates in respect of affordable, cost-rental or affordable purchase houses. On affordable purchase, 2022 was the first year that we got schemes up and running through the local authorities. Some schemes were delivered last year. There will be greater delivery this year. The LDA has also delivered affordable purchase homes through Project Tosaigh. I expect to have the figures in the coming weeks. I will publish the figures for each of the delivery mechanisms.

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

Can the Minister explain how, in terms of the social housing delivery that is coming through the same sorts of mechanisms, he is able give quite solid indications that 7,500 social homes were delivered in 2022? He was able to give the first home scheme figures. Is he not in a position to give us solid estimates of the delivery numbers in respect of the other forms of housing delivery?

The Minister has stated previously that approximately 1,000 cost-rental tenancies have been approved during the lifetime of this Government. Most of those were approved last year. Can the Minister provide more concrete information? As he will be aware, it is incredibly important that we get back to a decent level of affordable purchase. One of the big elements that is missing in the context of the housing system is that unlike many other European countries, we do not have a large amount of affordable rental accommodation. If we had such accommodation, it would take the pressure off those who are renting. We need to get affordable rental up to much more ambitious levels. Can the Minister provide more concrete information?

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

I receive the first home data in real time. There is a good ICT system behind that. It is run by the First Home Scheme Ireland Designated Activity Company. We see the approvals nearly every week, which is why I can be very specific on that matter.

I cannot be as specific in relation to the others because affordable purchase and cost rental, through the different delivery models, are being verified right now. I can tell the Deputy approximately 1,000 cost-rental homes have been approved. I cannot tell the Deputy right now exactly how many tenancies are occupied. Last year, there was a significant amount. It is the first time that we have done this as well. We will have those verified figures published in the coming weeks.

I would say, if the Deputy does not mind me saying, all of this is underpinned by the Affordable Housing Act 2021 that the Social Democrats voted against.

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

The Minister voted against our amendments on affordable purchase.

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

I was saying the Deputy voted against the legislation.

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

We voted against the Minister's amendments.

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

All the delivery mechanisms on affordable housing are facilitated by the Affordable Housing Act 2021----

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

Why did the Minister vote against our amendments?

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

-----which the Deputy's party opposed.

Local Authorities

Mark Ward

Ceist:

94. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on South Dublin County Council's housing maintenance team only accepting maintenance requests from tenants through housing online and no longer taking maintenance requests by email or telephone. [11542/23]

Deputy Mark Ward

South Dublin County Council has moved to an online system for residents to report housing maintenance issues. They are not taking calls or emails. They are not adequately responding to elected representatives. The local authority states there are high levels of digital literacy in the county. I was wondering where they got that figure. How can people, who have not the capacity or the money to use this system, report these faults? Can the Minister outline his views on this system?

An Ceann Comhairle

I ask the Minister of State to make a brief response.

Deputy Kieran O'Donnell

We made contact with South Dublin County Council, which advised us that a dedicated service is still available during office hours to take telephone calls relating to emergency maintenance requests from tenants who are older, who have disabilities or who have additional needs.

If what Deputy Ward is saying about South Dublin County Council remains the position, he should let us know and we will follow up with it.

Deputy Mark Ward

Okay.

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