Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 April 2025
639. Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Housing the number of applications received from Donegal County Council each year since the tenant-in-situ scheme was introduced; the number approved, and number awaiting approval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17340/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra640. Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage why the tenant-in-situ scheme no longer provides funding for refurbishment of houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17341/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 639 and 640 together.
The Government is providing continuing and substantial financial support to local authorities to acquire second-hand properties for priority categories of social housing need including tenants-in-situ who have been in receipt of supports under HAP or RAS and who had received a Notice of Termination. The other priority categories for second-hand acquisitions are properties that allow persons/families to exit homelessness; one-bedroom properties to deliver on Housing First targets; and specific housing required for people with a disability or other particular priority needs including older people.
For 2023 when tenants-in-situ with a Notice of Termination were added to the priority categories, and also for 2024, each local authority was provided with an initial allocation for the number of properties that could be supported under the second-hand acquisitions programme and it was a matter for the authorities themselves to identify and acquire the properties within that allocation.
I understand that Donegal County Council did not undertake any second-hand social housing acquisitions in 2023. For 2024, their initial allocation was 10 acquisitions and data on completions for the full year 2024 is currently being finalised and will be published shortly. Data on social and affordable housing up to Quarter 3 of 2024, including completed acquisitions, is on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/ .
For 2025, rather than providing local authorities with an allocation for the number of acquisitions to be funded, instead I have made a total of €325 million available to them for their social housing second-hand acquisitions and asked that they prioritise tenant-in-situ acquisitions, while also allowing other priority categories of need to be acquired as each local authority sees fit, with Donegal County Council having a capital funding allocation of €2 million for the year.
It will be a matter for the local authorities to decide how they use this funding within the priority categories being supported by the programme. I am keen that they obtain good value for money in supporting priority tenants and that they maximise the number of acquisitions, which is why I am not making Exchequer funding provision for house refurbishments where there are tenants-in-situ in a property. Such properties have been and continue to be the beneficiaries of significant Exchequer-funded rent supports through HAP and RAS and are legally required to meet the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 and are subject to inspection by local authorities to ensure they meet these standards.
There are a number of funding programmes available for local authorities to improve their social housing stock including their planned maintenance programme and the Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme.
