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Repair and Leasing Scheme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 July 2019

Tuesday, 23 July 2019

Ceisteanna (2883, 2970, 2977, 2993)

John Brady

Ceist:

2883. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of homes brought into use via the repair and lease scheme in each local authority in 2018 and to date in 2019. [32596/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

John Curran

Ceist:

2970. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the progress made in securing properties under the repair and leasing scheme in each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34416/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

John Brady

Ceist:

2977. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of homes brought into use in 2018 and to date in 2019, via the repair and lease scheme in County Wicklow and by LEA or municipal district; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34497/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Ceist:

2993. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of homes brought into use in 2018 and to date 2019 via the repair and lease scheme in south central areas of Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34589/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2883, 2970, 2977 and 2993 together.

The Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) was developed to assist private property owners and local authorities or Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to harness the accommodation potential that exists in certain vacant dwellings across Ireland.

The RLS is targeted at owners of vacant dwellings, who cannot afford or access the funding needed to bring their dwellings up to the required standard for rental property. Subject to the suitability of the dwelling for social housing, and the agreement of the property owner, the cost of the necessary repairs will be met upfront by the local authority or an approved housing body (AHB).

In early 2018, I introduced a number of enhancements to the scheme. These key changes to the scheme includes:

- A reduction in the minimum lease term required from 10 to 5 years;

- Extension of the scheme to allow payment of 92% of market rent (rather than 80% or 85%) to property owners who wish to take on landlord responsibilities;

- The allocation of additional funding, in excess of the €40,000 limit and up to €50,000, where the property is a former bedsit being brought into compliance with the Standards for Rented Houses

- The application of the scheme to unfinished properties in certain circumstances; and

- Permitting the maximum of €40,000 for capital works per property to be spread across multiple properties.

A total of €38m has been made available for the scheme in 2019 and local authorities and AHBs are continuing to implement the scheme locally.

Provisional data for the Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) indicate that up to end Q1 2019, a total of 1,399 applications for the scheme had been received; 102 homes had been brought back into use and tenanted and 147 agreements to lease had been signed. Delivery under RLS is reported as part of overall Social Housing Leasing output and these figures are available on my Department’s website at the following link (a detailed breakdown for RLS will be published shortly):

http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision .

A breakdown of the dwellings delivered under the scheme to end Q1 2019, by year and local authority, is set out in the following table. Data in relation to specific locations/areas within individual local authority areas are not held in my Department.

RLS Delivery 2017 to Q1 2019

Local Authority

Dwellings Delivered - 2017

Dwellings Delivered - 2018

Dwellings Delivered - Q1 2019

Carlow County Council

0

2

0

Cork County Council

0

0

1

Dublin City Council

0

1

0

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council

1

0

0

Fingal County Council

0

7

9

Kilkenny County Council

0

1

0

Limerick City & County Council

0

8

2

Longford County Council

0

6

0

Meath County Council

0

1

0

Monaghan County Council

0

4

0

Roscommon County Council

0

2

0

Tipperary County Council

0

1

0

Waterford City & County Council

6

35

1

Westmeath County Council

0

1

0

Wexford County Council

2

11

0

Total

9

80

13

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