Written Answers Nos. 21-40
21. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the provision of maternity leave for local authority councillors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59116/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe General Scheme of the Local Government (Maternity Protection and Other Measures for Local Authority Elected Members) Bill 2022 was approved by Government on 27 July 2022 and is published on the Government website at.
The General Scheme of the Bill was before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage for pre-legislative scrutiny on 22 September 2022 and I received the Joint Oireachtas Committee's Report on 28 October 2022.
Following priority drafting, the Bill was approved for publication by the Government on Tuesday 22nd November 2022 and published in the same week. The Bill and supporting Explanatory Memorandum are available on the the Oireachtas website at.
The Bill is scheduled for introduction to the Dáil at Second Stage this week and will progress through the Houses of the Oireachtas having regard to the overall Government legislative programme.
[Weblinks to be included with the official record:
Government Website: www.gov.ie/en/publication/4258f-general-scheme-of-local-government-maternity-protection-and-other-measures-for-local-authority-elected-members-bill-2022/.
Oireachtas Website: Local Government (Maternity Protection and Other Measures for Members of Local Authorities) Bill 2022 – No. 110 of 2022 – Houses of the Oireachtas.]
22. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on when the first housing units for persons with disabilities are expected to be completed under the national housing strategy for disabled people 2022-2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59836/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe second joint National Housing Strategy for Disabled People (NHSDP) 2022-2027, was launched on 14 January 2022 by my colleagues Minister Darragh O'Brien, Peter Burke and Anne Rabbitt. The new Strategy sets out the vision for the cooperation and collaboration of Government Departments, state agencies and others in delivering housing and the related supports for disabled people over the next five years and is operating under the framework of Housing for All. The Implementation Plan for the Strategy is due to be published by the end of the year.
The strategy is operating within the framework of Housing for All which is committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing with an appropriate mix of housing design types provided within social housing, including universally designed units, is available to everyone in Irish society, including people with disabilities.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity under Housing for All. In the case of the Capital Assistance Scheme, 352 units were delivered in 2021 which includes 111 housing units for disabled people. The Capital Assistance Scheme, for which €96m is provided in 2022, will be among the key measures to support the delivery of housing for disabled people under the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027.
23. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will urgently engage with an organisation (details supplied) regarding vacant housing units which are owned in Macroom, County Cork, to ensure as a matter of urgency that these units can be used for people to live in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59865/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraPathway 4 in Housing for All is focused on addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock. With regard to the vacant units referenced in the details supplied, I understand that these properties are over a commercial premises and have been vacant for some time. Following engagement by Cork County Council with the property owner, discussions are currently ongoing between the parties on the potential activation of these apartments for residential use. This engagement is being carried out by the Vacant Homes Officer and the Property Activation Section in Cork County Council.
This demonstrates the importance of the Vacant Homes Officer role in each local authority including in Cork County Council. It is their role to identify vacant properties, engage with property owners and promote the use of the schemes and funding programmes which are available to address vacancy and bring vacant properties back into residential use.
My Department is providing support and funding to each local authority to assist the work of each Vacant Homes Officer. These roles are now fulltime in each local authority, with 29 Vacant Homes Officers currently in place and the remaining two due to be appointed shortly.
The suite of measures to address vacancy in Housing for All will continue to be progressed to ensure that existing properties are brought back into use as homes.
26. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the range and nationwide impact of the built heritage investment scheme and the historic structures fund; when the next round of funding will become available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59867/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides financial support for the protection of eligible heritage buildings and historic structures through two grant schemes which are, in the main, administered by the local authorities. These are the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) and the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS).
The HSF is for conservation and enhancement to heritage structures and historic buildings, in both private and public ownership, for the benefit of communities and the public. The BHIS is a scheme for the repair and conservation of structures on the local authority Record of Protected Structures (RPS).
€4m was allocated to the HSF in 2022, initially funding 79 projects across the country. Match funding of between 20% and 50% of the total project cost is required for HSF projects, depending on the stream the application is made through. Match funding leveraged for HSF 2022 works currently stands at €1.4 million.
€4m was allocated to the BHIS in 2022, initially funding 516 projects across 31 local authorities. Match funding of at least 50% of the total project cost is required for BHIS projects. For 2022, match funding leveraged for BHIS works currently stands at €4.4 million.
Taken together, it is expected that the two schemes will create just under 45,000 days' employment for skilled conservation workers in 2022. It should be noted that the exact number of days' employment and final match funding figure will not be known until my Department finalises claims from the local authorities. This is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.
I launched both schemes for 2023 on 16 November and the application process is now open through the local authorities. It should be noted that the deadline for applications to my Department is 31 January 2023, however the local authority deadline will be in advance of this date.
The allocation for next year's schemes is a combined total of €9m, an increase of 12.5% on 2022, and it is anticipated that this investment will generate approximately 50,000 days’ employment for skilled conservation workers in 2023.
27. Deputy Francis Noel Duffy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage The measures that are being taken to alleviate the financial pressures faced by homeowners of defective properties. [48274/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra55. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ensure that owners of apartments and duplexes with construction defects will receive 100% redress; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59821/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra68. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of his plans to implement a redress scheme for homes affected by fire safety and other building defects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58837/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 55 and 68 together.
The Programme for Government sets out a commitment to examine defects in housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing’s report Safe as Houses?, and to assist owners of latent defect properties by identifying options for those impacted by defects, to access low-cost, long-term finance. In response, in February 2021, I established a Working Group to examine the matter.
I received the comprehensive report of the Working Group on 28 July titled Defects in Apartments - Report of the Working Group to Examine Defects in Housing , and I published it straight away. I fully acknowledge the difficulties that homeowners and residents of many apartments and duplexes are facing, and the stress that is caused when defects arise in relation to their buildings.
In that context, on 27 September, I brought a Memorandum to Government to inform Government of the content of the report and of the next steps that I will be taking. I am currently, in consultation with Government colleagues, in the process of developing options with a view to providing support to homeowners who find themselves in a difficult financial situation through no fault of their own.
In this regard, I have established an inter–departmental/agency group with a view to bringing forward specific proposals to Government by the end of the year. In addition, an advisory group has been established to develop a Code of Practice in the context of the Fire Services Acts, to provide guidance to building professionals and local authority building control / fire services, including guidance on interim safety measures. This advisory group is due to have its inaugural meeting in December.
As this work progresses, I am committed to continuing to liaise with key stakeholders such as homeowner representatives and the insurance sector. My Department is also engaging with the Housing Agency for the provision of advice in relation to implementation of the recommendations of the Report.
28. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the revised wind energy development guidelines will be commenced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58975/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. The review is addressing a number of key aspects including noise, setback distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections.
Guidance on the noise aspect is currently being finalised by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), which has primary responsibility for environmental noise matters. Officials from the two Departments are engaging on proposals regarding the measurement and assessment of noise from wind turbines to ensure they are robust and fit for purpose having regard to, inter alia, the revised 2030 target to generate up to 80% of our electricity from renewable sources. Further to a meeting between officials of both Departments on 14 October 2022, this matter is currently being considered by DECC and further inputs are expected shortly. Following this, my Department will be in a better position to provide an update on the expected publication date of the revised Guidelines, the finalisation of which remains a priority.
29. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the delivery of affordable housing under Housing For All in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59369/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder Housing for All, the Government will deliver 54,000 affordable homes between now and 2030, to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.
2022 represents the first year of a very ambitious programme of delivery of affordable housing. Significant funding has been secured and is being made available to support delivery of affordable housing for purchase or for cost rental by local authorities, including those in Dublin, AHB's and by the LDA. This includes homes for sale by local authorities and in partnership with the land Development Agency via the local authority affordable purchase scheme. These homes will be made available on local authority websites and the fisrt developments in Dun Emer, Lusk in Fingal and Kilcarbery in South Dublin have already been advertised and allocated to successful applicants. Details of affordable homes being brought forward by the LDA can be found on its website at https://lda.ie/.
Local authorities have published 5 year Housing Delivery Action Plans setting out, among other things, affordable housing delivery targets up to 2026. The 4 Dublin local authorities have a combined target of 5,285 affordable homes over this period, excluding affordable homes that will be delivered through AHBs and the higher Part V requirements introduced through the Affordable Housing Act 2021. Each delivery plan can be accessed on the respective local authority website.
Local authorities have begun collating information on the delivery of affordable homes in their area in the same manner as is currently undertaken for social housing. It is intended that information on delivery across all delivery streams will be coordinated by my Department and I expect that my Department will be in a position to commence reporting on affordable delivery figures in national quarterly delivery statistics soon.
The First Home shared equity scheme was launched in July this year, and now supports affordability-constrained households who wish to purchase a newly constructed home through the private market. This scheme will bridge the gap between the cost of the newly constructed home and the maximum mortgage the household, the maximum deposit (combined with Help-to-Buy support) that the household can obtain. Across the four Dublin local authority areas, this scheme supports purchases up to the value of €450,000 for newly constructed houses and up to €500,000 for newly constructed apartments. This scheme is administered by the First Home DAC. Full details can be found at www.firsthomescheme.ie/.
Other measures to support affordability constrained households include the Local Authority Home Loan and the Help-to-Buy incentive scheme. The Local Authority Home Loan was introduced in January this year as an enhanced replacement to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan. The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan supported 935 home purchases across the 4 Dublin local authorities from 2018 up to 2021, and a further 246 applications have been approved across both schemes so far this year. The Help-to-Buy scheme has assisted over 8,200 households across the 4 Dublin local authorities so far and, as announced in Budget 2023 , this scheme has been extended to end 2024.
30. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the provision of affordable housing for County Longford. [59537/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing the publication of Housing for All, I asked local authorities to prepare Housing Delivery Action Plans. In preparing these plans local authorities were asked to assess the level of housing demand with affordability constraint projected for their area based on the Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) tool and plan their provision accordingly. Local authorities with a strong and identified affordable housing need were asked to prepare Affordable Delivery Action Plans and were set five-year Affordable Delivery Targets.
An identified high level of affordable housing need arises where the HNDA indicates that, of the total projected need for housing in the county, over 5% of new households will not qualify for social housing but will also be constrained in accessing housing by their ability to afford to buy or rent. The level of affordably constrained need across the county of Longford is assessed at below 5%, although some localised affordability issues may arise in certain towns within the county.
It will be a matter for Longford County Council to consider whether a particular requirement for affordable housing arises and whether it will bring forward specific affordable schemes to meet this need. It is possible for local authorities, including Longford County Council, to assess affordable housing need at sub-county level to determine whether a need for Government funded affordable housing schemes is evident in specific towns/areas. Affordable Housing Fund subsidy towards the provision of local authority arranged affordable housing is only available to support affordable housing purchase in schemes located in large or key towns to ensure that provision is aligned with where need is concentrated. My Department, together with the Housing Agency, are available to offer assistance to any local authority that is considering developing an affordable housing scheme.
Where particular challenges arise for facilitating owner-occupation in towns, and where viable sites available for building of new homes are in short supply, there is significant potential for local authorities to support homeownership in these areas by making available serviced sites at a reduced cost (the Ready to Build scheme) or providing support towards the refurbishment of vacant properties where the level of vacancy or dereliction is high (the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant). These Croí Cónaithe Towns schemes, which are delivered by local authorities, provide new choices to support affordable home ownership.
In addition, the First Home Scheme, launched in July this year, which supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model, similar to that employed in the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme. The Scheme aims to support in the region of 8,000 households in acquiring new homes in the private market in the years 2022 to 2026 with an overall budget of €400 million. The scheme is available nationwide and more information can be found at https://www.firsthomescheme.ie/.
31. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has given consideration to the use of 3D printing technology and the possible benefits of same to the current problems with housing construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59147/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraModern Methods of Construction (MMC) has been identified as a key measure to address the different housing needs in Ireland and methods to support the development of MMC in Ireland are set out in Housing for All Pathway 5 Section 5.3.2.
MMC encompasses a broad and diverse range of innovative construction practices with huge potential to boost productivity and increase efficiency (avoid waste) in the construction sector. This includes 3D printing technology.
The coordination of activities to promote MMC adoption is being led by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE).
DETE has overseen the establishment of an interdepartmental MMC Leadership and Integration Group.
This Group will ensure the cohesive integration and coordination of the various Government supported MMC-relevant initiatives – to support innovation, such as 3D printing, in the construction industry.
Such initiatives include:
The Construction Technology Centre, consortium led by the University of Galway;
The Demonstration Park for MMC at Mount Lucas, operated by Laois Offaly Education and Training Board);
The National Construction Training Centre at Mount Lucas;
The Build Digital project (led by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform); and
The Built to Innovate awareness campaign run by Enterprise Ireland.
All new dwellings must comply with building regulations, the aim of which is to provide for the safety and welfare of people in and about buildings, and in addition achieve a 60-year durability for all key elements
Part D of the Building Regulations sets out the legal requirements for materials and workmanship. It requires that all works must be carried out
using “proper materials” which are fit for the use for which they are intended and for the conditions in which they are to be used, and
in a workmanlike manner
to ensure compliance with the Building Regulations.
The process of Agrément certification applies to those products and processes which do not fall within the scope of existing construction standards, either because they are innovative or because they deviate from established norms. NSAI Agrément assesses, specifies testing, and where appropriate, issues Agrément certificates confirming that new building products, materials, techniques and equipment are safe and fit for purpose in accordance with the Irish Building Regulations and with the terms of the certificate. Such certificates may be in addition to, but not conflict with CE marking.
32. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the changes that are being proposed to the income limits for eligibility for approval on local authority housing lists; the dates when these income limits were last set; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59622/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra36. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the discussions that he has had with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in view of the review that is being carried out by his Department concerning income limits for social housing, given the potential impact on the public finances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56462/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra37. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if changes to income limits for social housing will be backdated; if anyone removed from the list in that period will have their years on the list restored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59785/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra39. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the up-to-date position on the review that is being carried out of the income limits for social housing by local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58976/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra41. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will announce new income limits for social housing applications; if he will provide for discretion on compassionate grounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59758/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra49. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration will be given to increasing the income thresholds for families wishing to apply for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59146/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra69. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when income eligibility limits for social housing will be increased in counties Cavan and Monaghan given that existing limits are low at present and are unrealistic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59575/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra201. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review the income thresholds for social housing for Mayo County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56923/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra202. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the intended timeframe in which he intends to bring forward proposals to extend the eligibility applicable to local authorities regarding housing supports. [56643/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 32, 36, 37, 39, 41, 49, 69, 201 and 202 together.
The social housing income eligibility bands, the respective thresholds, and the local authorities assigned to each band were introduced in 2011. They were developed with reference to the income needed to provide for a household's basic needs, plus a comparative analysis of the local rental cost of housing accommodation across the country, at that time.
Notwithstanding an increase in the thresholds for a small number of local authorities in October 2022, the thresholds have remained largely unchanged since 2011. In the meantime, accommodation costs have increased significantly nationwide.
It is for this reason Government recently agreed to increase the baseline income thresholds by €5,000 for all local authorities with effect from 1 January 2023. The thresholds will increase to €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for bands 1, 2 and 3 respectively, and an estimated 16,000 additional households will likely be eligible for social housing support as a result. While local authorities have no scope to exceed these thresholds, they will continue to have flexibility when assessing eligibility to disregard income that is once-off, temporary or short-term and which is outside the regular pattern of a person’s annual income.
I am keen that those households, which may recently have been deemed not to qualify upon reassessment but would have qualified if the new thresholds had been in place, can retain time previously spent on the list. My Department is currently exploring the feasibility such arrangements under the current legislation and will provide guidance to local authorities on the matter in due course.
My Department has also recently begun work to develop a new social housing income eligibility model and I expect proposals for a new model to be submitted for my consideration in Q1 2023. The Department has formally consulted with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the project’s terms of reference, which include examining the consequences for the Exchequer of amending the thresholds. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will continue to input to this work as it progresses and is represented on the steering group established to oversee the project.
35. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable homes that have been built in County Cork to date in 2022. [59574/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraHousing for All sets out the range of actions necessary to increase the supply of housing to the required 33,000 homes, on average, per year over the next decade. 54,000 affordable home interventions will be delivered between now and 2030 to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.
In implementing the key objectives under Housing for All, each local authority has prepared and published a Housing Delivery Action Plan in respect of local authority supported or overseen delivery from 2022 to 2026. I have set individual five-year Housing delivery targets for local authorities. 18 local authorities with a strong and identified affordable housing need, including Cork City and County Councils, were also set affordable housing delivery targets and asked to include their planned affordable housing delivery in their Housing Delivery Action Plans.
Local authorities have been begun collating information on delivery of affordable homes in their area in the same manner as is currently done for social housing. It is intended that information on delivery across all delivery streams will be gathered by my Department and I expect that my Department will be in a position to begin reporting on affordable delivery in national quarterly delivery statistics by the end of this year.
2022 represents the commencement of a very ambitious programme of delivery of affordable housing. A pipeline of affordable housing delivery is being developed by local authorities, by approved housing bodies using the Cost Rental Equity Loan and by the Land Development Agency.
To date, affordable purchase homes have been advertised for sale at Boherboy Road, at Tower and at Clonmore, Mallow by Cork City and County Councils and the first 73 Cost Rental homes in Cork were delivered by the Clúid AHB at Lancaster Gate, Cork City earlier this year. Furthermore, the Land Development Agency (LDA) have commenced enabling works on the former HSE site at St. Kevin’s Hospital in Cork City where they have secured planning permission for 265 social and affordable homes.
The First Home Scheme to support affordable purchases of new homes in the private market through the use of an equity share model is in operation nationwide. The Scheme is primarily supporting First Time Buyers in the purchase of new homes within designated regional price ceilings, set with reference to the median prices for new homes purchased by first-time buyers in the area. As of 25 November 2022, 114 applications have been approved for Cork; 76 in Cork County and 38 in Cork City.
38. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the recent record levels of persons accessing emergency accommodation; the action that he is taking to address the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58836/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe continuing increase in the numbers accessing emergency accommodation is a serious concern for me and for the Government. We are doing everything in our power to tackle this problem, both by increasing housing supply and investing in homelessness prevention.
The Government is investing significantly in social and affordable housing, with record funding allocated for current and capital investment in housing this year alone. The Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Act 2022 was signed into law on 29 October 2022. The Act makes emergency provision to defer the termination dates of certain residential tenancies that fall, or would fall, during the period beginning on 30 October 2022 and ending on 31 March 2023 in order to mitigate the risk that persons whose tenancies would otherwise be terminated during that period would be unable to obtain alternative accommodation.
I have introduced further measures to increase supply, including the new voids programme with an emphasis on quick turnaround and re-letting, the pilot expansion of the Repair and Leasing scheme and the reinstatement of the delegated sanction to local authorities for social housing acquisitions. I also want to make it abundantly clear that there are no impediments, from my Department’s point of view, to the acquisition of homes with HAP or RAS tenants in situ and I have strongly advised the Local Authorities to be proactive in this regard.
Local authorities are funded to provide tenancy sustainment and prevention services and I have tasked the National Homelessness Action Committee to make recommendations on new prevention measures. I have also increased the HAP discretion rate from the previous 20%, to a maximum of 35% for all local authority areas. Furthermore I published the Youth Homeless Strategy 9 November that sets out 27 distinct actions to prevent young people entering homelessness.
We are providing more social homes, we are completing more homes in general and we have a strong pipeline of homes commenced. This supply activity, as well as targeted measures specifically to prevent homelessness, will allow us to meet the challenge of reducing the unacceptable numbers currently in emergency accommodation and ultimately to eradicate homelessness.
40. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the engagement that his Department has had with local county councils to ensure that local authority housing departments are properly staffed and resourced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56907/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraHousing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the Land Development Agency and €5bn funding through the Housing Finance Agency. The Government plans to deliver more than 90,000 social homes to 2030, with a focus on the social housing build programme, with a target to reach delivery of more than 9,500 new-build homes on average each year for the next five years to 2026.
Housing for All also includes a commitment to strengthen the capacity of local authorities to initiate, design, plan, develop and manage housing projects. Significant work has been undertaken to identify the additional staff resources required by local authorities to deliver the social housing targets set out in Housing for All. During 2021, the Housing Delivery Coordination Office (HDCO) engaged with each local authority to identify their additional staff requirements to deliver social housing. Following this engagement, my Department approved funding for over 250 housing posts in local authorities nationally to address social housing delivery.
With the support of the HDCO, the Department undertook a review this year in relation to the requirements for affordable housing staff resources, focusing on local authorities with an identified affordability constraint. Key considerations in this review included the type of structure (administrative/professional staff) necessary to deliver affordable housing, scale of delivery programmes and alignment with the additional supports already provided for social housing delivery earlier in 2022.
Following on-going engagement and sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, an initial tranche of 69 posts have now been approved and communicated to each of the respective local authorities who are now in the process of procuring same as applicable. This is a key requirement to underpin affordable housing delivery and ensuring the required structures are in place to enable affordable housing delivery as a matter of priority. The Department and the HDCO will be monitoring this programme further to a review of any additional supports being examined in 2023.
