Written Answers Nos. 112-133
112. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the Croí Cónaithe (cities) project has a limit on the total value of subsidy it will provide to successful applicants per unit. [3582/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme supports the building of apartments for sale to owner-occupiers. The Scheme aims to bridge the current “viability gap” between the cost of building apartments and the market sale price (where the cost of building is greater). The scheme is targeted principally at activating planning permissions already in place for such homes.
The funding available per apartment will be the viability gap calculated for each apartment. It will be fixed when the extent of the gap is finally confirmed but will be subject to a ceiling per apartment of €120,000.
Achieving viability outside Dublin, where market prices are significantly lower but apartment development costs remain similar, is a challenge. The scheme therefore provides that this maximum funding can be exceeded, by no more than 20%, where a calculated viability gap exceeds €120,000 in Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.
113. 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 set out in 2022 for Housing for All were met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3576/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra2022 represented the commencement of a very ambitious programme of delivery of affordable housing. This momentum will continue in 2023 with a pipeline of housing delivery in place and being developed by local authorities, by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and by the LDA as well as homes being made available through the First Home Scheme.
Local authorities have begun systematically collating information on delivery of affordable homes in their area in the same manner as is currently done for social housing for submission to my Department. Informed by returns of this data which are pending from local authorities confirming 2022 delivery, I expect that my Department will be in a position to report the 2022 affordable housing delivery by the end of Q1 2023.
The Housing for All Action Plan Update was published on 2 November 2022. The section entitled “Planning the required number of homes” sets out the Government’s approach to reviewing current targets and projections, including the refreshing of the overall national housing targets and the subsets of social, affordable and market delivery.
Annual national affordable housing delivery targets were published in Housing for All (Figure 3, page 32) for the years 2022 to 2030 inclusive. Overall targets within affordable delivery streams will be revised per the approach set out above.
115. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a report on the operation of the first home scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3517/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe First Home Scheme, launched on 7 July 2022, supports first-time buyers, as well as buyers who are eligible under Housing for All’s ‘Fresh Start’ principle, in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. Full information on the scheme is available on the First Home Scheme dedicated website, www.firsthomescheme.ie.
The Scheme is overseen and managed independently by the First Home Scheme Designated Activity Company (DAC), which is responsible for reporting and operations. Information is currently made available on a quarterly basis by First Home Scheme DAC. The First Home Scheme can be contacted directly via the website or email (see www.firsthomescheme.ie/get-in-touch/).
The rules of the Scheme have been agreed by all of the founders - the participating mortgage lenders, and the State - and are available in the First Home Scheme brochure, which is available at the following link:
www.firsthomescheme.ie/media/3fidiubp/first-homes-brochure-2023.pdf.
First Home DAC recently confirmed that, in its first six months of operation and as of the end of 2022, 750 applications were approved, 335 contracts issued, and 135 purchases closed with the assistance of the Scheme. First Home also confirmed that following a review of its local authority based price ceilings, new ceilings would be implemented from 1 January 2023 and the detail of these new ceilings is available on the scheme website.
116. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps being taken to ensure that house building in 2023 does not decrease. [3536/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraHousing for All commits to increasing the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 new homes per year. It has secured and sustained levels of State investment of over €4bn a year, giving the construction sector the certainty it needs to help ensure the ambition of the Plan is realised and 300,000 new homes are built by 2030.
Supply is increasing. The 2022 target of 24,600 homes will be exceeded. Recent indicators show that the Plan is working:
- 7,544 homes were completed in Q3 2022, a rise of 62.5% from the same quarter in 2021.
- The number of new home completions for the first three quarters of 2022 was 20,807, which is more than was seen for the whole of 2021 (20,560) or any other year since the series began in 2011.
- In 2022, building commenced on almost 27,000 new homes.
- Planning permission was granted for 40,030 homes in the year ending Q3 2022. This is a 2.4% increase when compared to the same time period to Q3 2021 (39,077).
The ERSI forecast that 54,000 homes will be completed in the two years 2022 and 2023 (28,000 and 27,000, respectively), which is in line with Housing for All projections for the period.
Housing for All has in-built flexibility to review actions and targets, as needed. The first annual update of the Plan was published on 2 November 2022 and sets out how the Government is responding to the current challenges in the housing sector. The update identifies 33 high-priority actions to activate and accelerate the delivery of housing supply, whilst also continuing to deliver on the fundamental reforms set out in the Plan.
Critical to ensuring a sustainable housing supply, now and into the future, is addressing the cost of construction and ensuring innovation in how we deliver our homes. In this regard, my Department is close to finalising the Residential Construction Cost Study which will identify opportunities for cost reduction for consideration by relevant Government Departments and industry. The study complements work being carried out by my Department on other development cost areas, such as site acquisition and land value, planning, and utilities. The Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment is taking a lead role in supporting the adoption of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). MMC has the potential to improve the speed of construction of new homes through the adoption of innovation by 30%, with a potential 25% reduction in costs. My Department is working closely with local authorities to increase the use of Modern Methods of Construction in social and affordable housing, which in turn will build capacity and demand for MMC.
The updated Action Plan can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/da0d1-action-plan-update-and-q3-2022-progress-report/
The challenges arising for the construction sector and the housing market are under constant review right across Government and the Government and I continue to explore options to ensure there is robust delivery of housing in 2023 and in the years to come.
117. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the initiatives being developed to activate some of the many outstanding planning permissions for apartment developments which have not yet been commenced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2837/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra162. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports the Governments intend putting in place to assist the development of residential apartment blocks in view of the fact that the cost of erecting same far exceeds the sale value once completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3672/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 162 together.
Housing for All commits to increasing the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 new homes per year. It introduced a number of viability measures to unlock stalled housing developments and increase the supply of new housing and in particular for apartments.
The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme supports the building of apartments for sale to owner-occupiers. The Scheme aims to bridge the current “viability gap” between the cost of building apartments and the market sale price (where the cost of building is greater). The scheme is targeted principally at activating planning permissions already in place for such homes.
The scheme launched on the 10 May 2022 with an Expressions of Interest process which is being managed and administered by The Housing Agency on behalf of my Department. The closing date for receipt of proposals was 21 June 2022.
On receipt of applications in June, The Housing Agency has been actively undertaking the various appraisal stages (3) which deal with the following:
1. Eligibility of proposals
2. Ranking of suitable proposals and
3. A detailed due diligence process leading to designation (the current stage of progress).
Alongside this, the Croí Cónaithe (Cities) scheme is currently subject of an application in respect of State Aid to the EU’s Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP) with a decision due shortly.
A second call for expressions of interest is expected in Q2 2023.
Furthermore, and as part of the review of Housing for All last year, my Department has also committed to submitting proposals to Government for a new viability measure to help bring forward Cost Rental homes at scale. Work to examine how such a proposal could be structured is underway.
The Land Development Agency is also tasked with unlocking stalled private, planning-consented developments in the shorter-term through its market engagement initiative - Project Tosaigh. An expressions of interest process was launched at the end of 2021, and the LDA now has a pipeline of projects anticipated to deliver affordable for sale and cost rental homes.
The LDA recently launched a renewed expressions of interest process under Project Tosaigh seeking proposals from the homebuilding sector for the forward purchase of unbuilt residential units with a particular focus on activating apartment developments in Dublin and Cork that have not yet commenced.
Work is underway in assessing proposals submitted.
118. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the provision of modular build homes in County Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3423/23]
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. This includes an average of 10,000 new build social homes each year in the period to 2030. 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.
Modern methods of construction (MMC) has been identified as a key measure to address increased housing delivery and methods to support increased use of MMC are set out in Pathway 5 of Housing for All. The development of MMC will improve productivity in construction and increase efficiency in residential construction.
The Housing for All Action Plan Update and Quarter 3 2022 Progress Report, which was published on 2 November, includes a new action to develop a roadmap with targets for increased use of MMC in public housing. My Department is now working closely with the local authorities, including Carlow County Council, to increase the use of MMC in social and affordable housing.
Modern Methods of Construction is used to describe a range of offsite manufacturing and innovative onsite techniques that provide alternatives to traditional house building. Modern Methods of Construction can be completed dwelling units manufactured in a factory setting and transported to site, or panelised components manufactured in a factory and assembled on site. All Modern Methods of Construction systems must be of a high quality, comply with all requirements of the Building Regulations and have a 60-year durability.
119. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the new draft rural planning guidelines; when it is expected that the public consultation will commence; the reason for the delay in the publication of the draft guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3531/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraUpdated Rural Housing Planning Guidelines are currently being prepared by my Department. The updated guidelines will expand on the high level spatial planning policy of the National Planning Framework (NPF), in particular on National Policy Objective (NPO) 19 which relates to rural housing. This objective makes a clear policy distinction between rural areas under urban influence (i.e. areas within the commuter catchment of cities, towns and centres of employment) on the one hand, and structurally weaker rural areas where population levels may be low or declining, on the other. NPO 19 is also aligned with the established approach whereby considerations of social (intrinsic part of the community) or economic (persons working full or part time) need are to be applied by planning authorities in rural areas under urban influence.
The proposed Draft Rural Housing Guidelines will set out relevant planning criteria to be applied in local authority development plans for rural housing, based on the high level policy framework set by the NPF. The guidelines will continue to allow county development plans to provide for housing in the countryside based on the considerations detailed in NPO 19 of the NPF, and will also highlight the need to manage development in certain areas, such as the areas around cities and larger towns and environmentally sensitive areas, in order to avoid over-development.
Since the publication of the current Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines in 2005 (which continue to have effect) there have been important changes to our planning system. Most notably our obligations under European Directives and international agreements relating to the management and protection of the environment and our climate have become more central to the operation of the planning system. The draft guidelines need to address all of these complex environmental issues, while also providing a framework for the sustainable management of housing in rural areas.
The guidelines are at an advanced stage of drafting and environmental assessments relating to the impact of the proposed guidelines on the environment are nearing completion.
The draft guidelines will be published for a period of public consultation in Q1 2023.
120. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable homes delivered by each of the Cork local authorities; the number of homes being advanced through the various schemes for the next three years; the target number of homes for each of the next three years; and the rationale for these target figures. [3662/23]
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 both Cork City and Cork County Councils, were also set affordable housing delivery targets and asked to include their planned affordable housing delivery in their Housing Delivery Action Plans. These plans were published on the Councils’ respective websites in July 2022. Affordable housing targets have also now been published by local authorities and are also available to view on both Councils' websites. Targets issued to local authorities are based on the result of individual local authorities Housing Needs and Demand Assessments (HNDA).
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 in Q1 2023.
2022 represented 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 AHBs using the Cost Rental Equity Loan and by the LDA.
Funding under the various streams is made available on a programme basis in support of approved affordable housing schemes, rather than by allocations to counties. Housing for All has the largest ever housing budget in the history of the State to transform our housing system, with in excess of €20 billion in funding through the Exchequer, the LDA and the Housing Finance Agency over the five years.
To date, four affordable purchase schemes have been advertised for sale in Cork: three in Cork City Council - Newton Heights, Boherboy Road; Cluain Chaoin, Tower; and Crann Darach, Montenotte and one in Cork County Council - Clonmore, Mallow. Cork City Council confirmed to my Department this week that it will advertise a further 35 affordable purchase homes at Hawkes Road in Bishopstown on 11th February 2023, and applications will be open via an online portal later that month. In addition, the first 73 Cost Rental homes in Cork were delivered by AHB Clúid at Lancaster Gate, Cork City in 2022.
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.
As of the end of 2022, the First Home Scheme reported that 750 applications had been approved, including 112 (15%) in Cork City and Cork County. Following a thorough review exercise, the maximum price ceilings have been revised to €475,000 for a new house in Cork City, €500,000 for a new apartment in Cork City, and €425,000 for a new home in Cork County, with effect from 1 January 2023.
121. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the Government’s plan for the future of Moore Street. [3535/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe national monument at 14 - 17 Moore Street is in the ownership of the State and the OPW are in the process of appointing a design team to resume phase one stabilisation works on the buildings. Works to the national monument will facilitate the protection and reuse of these historic buildings as an iconic heritage and visitor attraction in the form of a 1916 Rising commemorative centre.
122. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is planning to extend the moratorium on certain evictions after 31 March 2023; what other measures will he put in place to stop the flow of people into homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3648/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra148. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider an extension of the eviction ban given the high levels of homelessness and the lack of availability of affordable housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3578/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 122 and 148 together.
The aim of the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Act 2022 is to afford time for housing supply to increase and to reduce the burden on homelessness services and the pressure on tenants and the residential tenancies market. To assist in managing demands on housing services after the winter period and ensure that there is no cliff edge impact on 1 April, the Deferment Act provides for deferred Notices of Termination to take effect on a phased basis over the period from 1 April to 18 June 2023.
As a further emergency measure, I have also written to local authority Chief Executives, informing them of my decision to continue the delegated sanction, to purchase homes where the tenant is at risk of homelessness, for the duration of the emergency period and up to the end of the transition period in June 2023.
Ultimately of course, increased supply across all tenures is key to eradicating homelessness. Housing supply is increasing under Housing for All.
There is a strong pipeline, with 40,030 dwellings granted planning permission in the 12 months to the end of September 2022. 27,773 new homes were completed in the twelve months to end September 2022 - greater than the total for 2021 or any full year since the CSO completions series began. There were 26,957 units commenced in the year to end December 2022 and we are on track to exceed the Housing for All target of 24,600 new build homes in 2022.
Record State investment of €4.5bn will be made available in 2023 to support the largest State home building programme ever, with 9,100 direct build social homes and 5,500 affordable homes.
The Act has been carefully calibrated to limit its interference with landlords’ constitutional property rights. Further information on the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates for Certain Tenancies) Act 2022 is contained on the website of the Residential Tenancies Board - www.rtb.ie.
The Government recognises and appreciates the key role of landlords in providing much needed accommodation and the pressures on some landlords on foot of the cost of living crisis. Landlords are essential to a fully functioning residential property market. The Government is committed to supporting the continued participation of landlords and growing their investment in the rental market. It has also been necessary in recent and uncertain times to strengthen tenancy protections for tenants including for reasons of supply and affordability in the sector. The Government has sought to balance the interests and tenancy rights of both landlords and tenants under the Act.
There are no proposals to bring further legislative proposals forward at the moment in relation to the operation of the rental market while it should be noted that the operation of the rental market and the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 are kept under constant review. In this regard, my Department has commenced work on an overall review of the private rented sector as committed to under the review of Housing for All published last November.
123. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the way the construction sector can increase the use of timber framed dwellings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3546/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraHousing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 new homes per year over the next decade.
Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) is used to describe a range of offsite manufacturing and innovative onsite techniques that provide alternatives to traditional house building, including timber framed dwellings. MMC can be completed dwelling units manufactured in a factory setting and transported to site, or panelised components manufactured in a factory and assembled on site. All MMC systems must be of a high quality, comply with all requirements of the Building Regulations and have a 60 year durability.
MMC has been identified as a key measure to address increased housing delivery and methods to support increased use of MMC are set out in Pathway 5 of Housing for All. Indeed, the Housing for All Action Plan Update, which was published on 2 November, reiterated this point and includes a new action to develop a roadmap with targets for increased use of MMC in public housing.
In this regard, the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment (DETE) has overseen the establishment of and chairs an interdepartmental Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Leadership and Integration Group.
The Group is tasked with coordinating initiatives to support innovation, public procurement, sustainability, housing and the education and skills agenda in the construction industry, including:
- The recently launched Construct Innovate Technology Centre, funded by DETE through Enterprise Ireland.
- The establishment of a Demonstration Park for MMC at the Mount Lucas National Construction Training Centre, operated by Laois Offaly Enterprise and Training Board (LOETB), in conjunction with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and SOLAS.
- Progressing a package of proposals which will further support the use and development of MMC in delivery of social housing by my Department.
The Construction Industry Federation, with the support of the Construction Sector Group has published a report on the adoption of Modern Methods of Construction by Industry which is available at the following link : cif.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1271-CIF-Modern-Methods-of-Construction-Report-v4.pdf
124. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if any changes are likely to be made in relation to the price ceiling under the first home scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3674/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe First Home Scheme, launched on 7 July 2022, supports first-time buyers, as well as buyers who are eligible under Housing for All’s ‘Fresh Start’ principle, in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. Full information on the scheme is available on the First Home Scheme dedicated website, www.firsthomescheme.ie.
The Scheme is overseen and managed independently by the First Home Scheme Designated Activity Company (DAC), which is responsible for reporting and operations. At the Scheme's launch, it was announced by the First Home that a review of price ceilings would be undertaken within 6 months. This review was conducted towards the end of 2022 on the basis of the most up to date Residential Property Price Index data on the sales prices of new homes sold, as published by the CSO, as well as a study of the prices of new homes available on the market. The review also factored in the evident increase in construction costs.
That review is now complete, and the revised price ceilings were put in place by First Home DAC from 1 January 2023. The revised price ceilings are available at: www.firsthomescheme.ie/about/property-price-ceilings/.
At a press event confirming the new ceilings on 9 January 2023, First Home Scheme DAC confirmed that future review of price ceilings will be conducted on a 6-monthly basis.
125. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of tenants that were housed in counties Cavan and Monaghan under the housing assistance payment scheme. [3583/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra172. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the means of housing assistance payment can be increased to match increases in rent and cost-of-living in counties Cavan and Monaghan. [3584/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 125 and 172 together.
The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of Q3 2022, over 106,700 HAP tenancies had been set-up since the scheme commenced, of which there were more than 59,600 households actively in receipt of HAP support.
Under Housing for All, my Department was tasked with undertaking an analytical exercise to examine whether the level of discretion available to Local Authorities under HAP was adequate. The Housing Agency carried out this analytical exercise, on behalf of my Department, to better understand what level of discretion should be made available to Local Authorities under HAP to maintain adequate levels of support.
Following receipt and analysis of this review, I, in cooperation with Government colleagues and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, approved an increase in the HAP discretion rate from 20% to 35% and for new tenancies to extend the couple’s rate to single person households. This will secure more tenancies and prevent new entries to homelessness. Both these measures came into effect from 11 July 2022.
A separate review of the discretion available to Homeless HAP tenancies in Dublin, which is up to 50% above the prescribed maximum rent limits, is currently being undertaken by my Department, in conjunction with the Housing Agency.
Data in relation to HAP tenancies in Cavan and Monaghan is set out in the table below:
|
Local Authority |
No. of tenancies set up in 2022 to end Q3 2022 |
Total active HAP tenancies at end Q3 2022 |
No. of tenancies set up since commencement of HAP scheme |
|
Cavan |
65 |
408 |
826 |
|
Monaghan |
71 |
547 |
1356 |
My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review.
126. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of social and affordable homes that were built in County Cork in the years 2021 and 2022. [3403/23]
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. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. 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.
Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes; 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing and 28,500 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2026. In September 2021, I issued social housing targets to each local authority for the period 2022-2026 and in March 2022 I issued local authority targets for affordable purchase and cost-rental.
In 2021, 43 new build social homes were delivered in Cork City and 391 in Cork County. In 2022, data is available to the end of Quarter 3. In this period, 132 new build social homes were delivered in Cork City Council and 297 in Cork County Council. Comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity in all local authorities is available until the end of Quarter 3 2022 and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/ . The Quarter 4 social housing statistics are being collated and will be published in due course.
My Department also publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR). The CSR provides details of social housing developments and their location that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and tender processes. The most recent publication was for Quarter 3 2022. All Construction Status Reports are available at the following link: gov.ie - Social Housing Construction Projects - Status Reports (www.gov.ie)
Last year represented 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. Furthermore, local authorities have been begun collating information on the delivery of affordable homes in their area in the same manner as is currently done for social housing.
It is intended that information 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 in Quarter 1 2023.
127. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the action he is taking to ensure buildings built now and in the future are not defective; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3560/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the July 2022 report, Defects in Apartments: Report of the Working Group to Examine Defects in Housing, the Working Group, which I established, concluded that there is no single cause of the defects in apartments. The Working Group found that they tend to arise due to a variety of design, product, supervision, inspection and workmanship issues, occurring either in isolation or in various combinations.
In recognition of the defects and issues that have arisen, a range of building control reforms which focus on ensuring strong and effective regulation in the building control system and of the construction industry and on improving compliance with Building Regulations have been implemented over the last decade. These include:
a. Implementation of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014. These Regulations empower competence and professionalism in construction projects and establish a chain of responsibility that begins with the owner. With certain limited exceptions, the owner must assign competent persons to design, build, inspect and certify the building works who, in turn, must account for their role through the lodgement of compliance documentation, inspection plans and statutory certificates. The roles and responsibilities of owners, designers, builders, assigned certifiers, etc. during building works are set out in the Code of Practice for Inspecting and Certifying Buildings and Works. The Code of Practice also provides guidance on use of proper materials and the need to check supporting documentation under the Construction Products Regulation (e.g Declaration of Performance) and additional national guidance (e.g. Standard Recommendations produced by National Standards Authority of Ireland).b. the creation of the National Building Control Management Project and the establishment of the National Building Control & Market Surveillance Office to provide oversight, support and direction for the development, standardisation and implementation of Building Control as an effective shared service in the 31 Building Control Authorities.c. The enactment in July 2022 of the Regulation of Providers of Building Works and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022. This Act develops and promotes a culture of competence, good practice and compliance with the Building Regulations in the construction sector. The Act will put the Construction Industry Register Ireland on a statutory footing and aims to benefit consumers and the general public by giving those who engage a registered builder the assurance that they are dealing with a competent and compliant operator. The Act also allows for complaints against registered builders to be made on a number of grounds – in particular an entity providing building services in a category in which they are not registered. It provides for a range of proportionate sanctions to be imposed after investigation. Complaints in relation to building regulations will continue to be dealt with under the Building Control Act.In addition, work has commenced on considering the policy options around the establishment of an independent Building Standards Regulator. My objective is to ensure that an independent Building Standards Regulator has sufficient breadth of scope, effective powers of inspection and enforcement and an appropriate suite of sanctions.
128. Deputy Francis Noel Duffy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has any plans to review the legislation outlined in Section 34 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 as regards sale of homes as grounds for termination of tenancies in view of the recent headlines that report over 1,800 renters were at risk of homelessness in the past three months (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3226/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are no proposals to bring further legislative proposals forward at the moment in relation to the operation of the rental market while it should be noted that the operation of the rental market and the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 are kept under constant review. In this regard, my Department has commenced work on an overall review of the private rented sector as committed to under Action 2.1 of the Housing for All Action Plan Update (November 2022), a copy of which can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/da0d1-action-plan-update-and-q3-2022-progress-report/.
129. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way he will ensure that all the people now eligible for social housing due to change in income limits will be put back on the list urgently so they will be eligible for allocations as a matter of urgency as many of these people have missed out on allocations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3649/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government recently agreed to increase the baseline social housing income eligibility thresholds by €5,000 for all local authorities with effect from 1 January 2023, with the thresholds increasing to €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for Bands 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
Households deemed not to qualify upon assessment under the previous thresholds, but which would have qualified if the new thresholds had been in place, will permitted to retain time previously spent on the list. Accordingly, any application assessed and deemed ineligible between 18 November 2021 and 31 December 2022, and which would have met the new income thresholds, can be resubmitted. Any household removed from the local authority waiting list since 18 November 2021, but which now qualifies under the new thresholds, can retain the time already accrued on the list as well as any time that they would have accrued if they had remained on the waiting list.
I have instructed local authorities to write directly to affected applicants advising them of the revised arrangements, which will remain in place until 30 June 2023 and ensure households have sufficient time to resubmit their applications.
130. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will outline the projected total budget allocation available to the Croí Cónaithe (cities) project in 2023, 2024 and 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3581/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraHousing for All (published in September 2021) provides a new housing plan for Ireland to 2030 with the overall objective that every citizen in the State should have access to good quality homes through a steady supply of housing in the right locations, with economic, social and environmental sustainability built into the system.
The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme, as set out in Pathway 3 of Housing for All, supports the building of apartments for sale to owner-occupiers. The Scheme aims to bridge the current “Viability Gap” between the cost of building apartments and the market sale price (where the cost of building is greater). The scheme is targeted principally at activating planning permissions already in place for such homes.
The Scheme launched on 10 May 2022 with an Expressions of Interest process. It will be managed and administered by the Housing Agency on behalf of my Department. The closing date for receipt of proposals was 21 June 2022. Until such time as the state aid application has been approved by EU DG COMP and the Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Development and Designation Agreements are in place, expenditure on the scheme is generally related to operational costs such as professional fees and legal advice.
With anticipated construction timelines of around eighteen months, Croí Cónaithe (Cities) supported apartment developments will likely be brought to market from 2024. Therefore, financial supports from the fund, which only arise on sale of apartments to eligible purchasers, are not expected to be incurred until 2024, with the funding expected to be distributed across 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. The total budget for the Croí Cónaithe Cities Scheme is €450 million.
131. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of people waiting on local authority housing list per local authority; the average waiting time per list; the use of choice-based letting system per local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3426/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraDetails on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area is provided in the annual Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recently published summary for all counties, conducted in November 2021, is available at:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/f6119-summary-of-social-housing-assessments-2021-key-findings/
While the average waiting time per local authority list is not captured, details on the length of time spent on the respective lists local authority are included in tables 2.8 and A1.8 in the report.
I expect the 2022 SSHA report to be available towards end-February.
Choice Based Letting is currently operated by over half of the local authorities. Of these, 14 operate an online system, including Clare, Cork City, Cork County, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Galway City, Galway County, Kildare, Leitrim, Louth, Meath, South Dublin, Tipperary and Waterford. While several operate paper-based systems, many offer both paper-based and online services.
133. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the regeneration of St. Andrews flat complex in the south inner city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2153/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing on from reviews of the conditions of its older flat complexes and based on the need to modernise and bring the living conditions up to acceptable levels and as part of its climate action plans, Dublin City Council (DCC) has advised my Department that they are developing a long term strategy for the redevelopment and/or refurbishment of many of these complexes. This is a matter for DCC in the first instance.
With regard to St. Andrew’s Court my Department provided Stage 1 approval for the demolition of the existing flat complex and the construction of 37 social housing apartments in December 2020.
DCC has advised that an integrated design team were appointed to progress the design of the new housing scheme towards planning lodgement.
Following the submission of the Stage 2 application to my Department in July 2022, DCC was requested to provide additional information, which now forms the basis of ongoing discussions.
Upon receipt of additional information from DCC my Department expects to be in a position to provide Stage 2 approval. DCC are developing and finalising a design to bring the project through planning.
