Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 January 2023
151. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the schemes available in County Mayo for the delivery of affordable housing; the affordable housing targets for 2023, and progress in the delivery of affordable housing schemes in Castlebar and Ballina; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3630/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) application was submitted by Mayo County Council to my Department last year to support a development of 13 affordable purchase homes in Springfield, Westport. I granted approval in principle to this application in November 2022 and scheduled delivery of these affordable homes will be in 2024. To date, my Department has not received any AHF applications in respect of affordable housing schemes in either Castlebar or Ballina. My Department and The Housing Agency are available to assist Mayo County Council in this regard and will consider any evidence presented by the Council in respect of a demonstrated need for affordable housing and any requirement for funding in either location through the Affordable Housing Fund.
Furthermore, I announced the ‘Ready to Build’ Scheme last year. The scheme will be funded from the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund. Under the scheme, local authorities will make serviced sites available in towns and villages to potential purchasers for the building by the purchaser of a principal private residence. The sites will be sold at a discounted rate of up to €30,000 from the market value. The discount will be determined by the cost of servicing the site. This will facilitate the making available of some 2,000 sites for homes by 2025 and can be availed of by Mayo County Council to help meet affordable housing need.
Finally, the First Home Scheme which was launched last year, 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.
