Written Answers Nos. 425-446
425. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to improve the availability of affordable housing in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42567/24]
View answer463. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his target for the delivery of affordable homes in Monaghan in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43232/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 425 and 463 together.
The Affordable Housing Act 2021 established a framework to make affordable housing available, setting up affordable purchase and cost rental schemes for delivery by key partners.
As regards local authority delivery, funding approvals are now in place to support the delivery of over 4,300 affordable homes by 21 local authorities with subsidy from the Affordable Housing Fund. The legislative framework and arrangements in place to support the affordable housing schemes are proving effective.
In implementing the objectives of Housing for All, each local authority, including both Kildare and Monaghan, has prepared and published a Housing Delivery Action Plan in respect of local authority supported or overseen delivery from 2022 to 2026.
18 local authorities with a strong and identified affordable housing need, including Kildare County Council, were asked to include assessed affordable housing need and planned affordable housing delivery in their Action Plans and are subject to an individual five-year Affordable Housing delivery target.
Whether or not an affordable housing delivery target has been set, subsidy from the Affordable Housing Fund is available to assist all local authorities, including Monaghan, in responding effectively to localised affordability needs i.e. where some new households being formed are identified as not being able to access housing for purchase or rent at prices/rents affordable to them.
My Department, in conjunction with the Housing Delivery Co-ordination Office of the Local Government Management Association and the Housing Agency, is available to advise and support local authorities in responding effectively to localised affordability needs.
Kildare has already successfully delivered 19 affordable purchase homes at Grey Abbey, Kildare with the support of the Affordable Housing Fund.
Department officials met recently with the Monaghan County Council housing delivery team to outline how the Affordable Housing Fund is available to address such needs where identified.
The First Home scheme is also available and actively supporting affordable home purchase nationwide. To date, First Home has delivered affordable home ownership solutions to 680 eligible persons in Kildare and to 15 eligible persons in Monaghan. As housing supply increases and the choice of homes available improves I expect First Home to expand and grow in both counties in the coming years.
The Croí Cónaithe Towns schemes, which includes the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and the Ready to Build Scheme, is also contributing to addressing the needs of affordably constrained purchasers in both counties.
331 cost rental units have also been delivered to date in Kildare by Approved Housing Bodies and the Land Development Agency.
The Land Development Agency is also tasked with developing social and affordable homes on over 30 state land sites, including the Devoy Barracks site at Naas, where construction of housing commenced in December 2023. 219 homes in total are expected to be delivered over two phases in Q4 2025 and Q4 2026.
My Department publishes affordable housing delivery reports based on quarterly returns received from all local authorities. These reports are available on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/?#affordable-housing-delivery
426. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on Project Tosaigh in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42568/24]
View answerThe Land Development Agency (LDA) was established with a focus on managing the State’s lands to develop new homes and regenerate underutilised sites. It has also been tasked with unlocking stalled, private, planning-consented developments in the shorter-term through Project Tosaigh, its market engagement initiative.
The LDA is targeting 8,000 new homes over the course of the Project Tosaigh initiative. They are currently on track to deliver 5,000 new homes for social housing, Cost Rental and Affordable Purchase to eligible households by end 2026. In excess of 2,500 social, affordable purchase or cost rental homes are already either delivered, contracted or approved to proceed within the LDA to date under Project Tosaigh's first phase. As part of this initial phase, the LDA delivered 73 Cost Rental homes in Kildare in 2023.
To deliver the next phase of Project Tosaigh, a framework panel consisting of 15 of Ireland’s largest and most experienced home-builders to accelerate the delivery of affordable homes was announced on 12 June 2024. It is anticipated that the first projects from this framework panel will be agreed in the coming months.
Additionally, Government has agreed the transfer of over 30 state land sites to the LDA for regeneration and development of social & affordable homes. These sites have the collective potential to deliver over 18,000 new homes. Of these sites, the land at Devoy Barracks in Naas, Co. Kildare has been transferred, and construction of housing commenced in December 2023. 219 homes in total are expected to be constructed, and crèche facilities, with expected delivery of the first phase of homes expected in Q4 2025 and the remainder by Q4 2026.
427. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress being made with the long awaited regeneration of Saint Patrick's Park, Rathangan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42569/24]
View answerMy Department is supporting Kildare County Council who are advancing the refurbishment of St. Patrick's Park, Rathangan, including an element of additional, new build social housing. The Council has advised that Phase 1 of the works, which involves the refurbishment of 34 homes, was completed in October 2019 and that plans for the next phases have been developed following public consultation workshops with residents.
Earlier this year, my Department gave Pre-Tender (Stage 3) approval to Kildare County Council for the progression of Phases 2 & 3 of the overall project which I understand, will involve the demolition of 15 existing properties, construction of 7 new homes, refurbishment of 23 homes and a range of site and landscaping works. I also understand that the Part 8 planning process for these works was completed in February 2023 and that Kildare County Council has tendered the works and has very recently provided my Department with a Post-Tender (Stage 4) report, which is currently being assessed by my Department who will liaise Kildare County Council in relation to the matter.
While this is a complex project, it is being advanced by Kildare County Council so that improved conditions are delivered for the residents. Further information is available directly from Kildare County Council which is managing the implementation of the overall project.
428. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he can provide details on the progress of Kildare County Council's serviced sites scheme, particularly the upcoming sale of serviced sites in Clogherinkoe; what measures are in place to ensure affordability for local buyers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42576/24]
View answerThe Ready to Build Schemes, funded by the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, was launched in September 2022. Under the Scheme, local authorities will make serviced sites in towns and villages available to potential individual purchasers to build their homes. These sites will be available at a discount on the market value of the site for the purposes of building a property for occupation as the principal private residence of the purchaser. The level of discount to the individual will depend on the level of servicing cost incurred by the local authority before the sale of the site but will not exceed €30,000. The amount of such discount will be reflected in the sale price of the site.
Under the scheme, it is intended that local authorities will develop existing sites in their control or purchase sites in towns and villages and make them available for development by providing services and access to the sites concerned. It is a matter for the local authority to identify a suitable site/s that is either already in their ownership or that can be acquired and that meets the conditions of the scheme.
To date, 17 sites have been made available for sale, 8 in Laois, 5 in Wicklow, and 4 in Tipperary. A further 7 sites are to be made available for sale by Kildare County Council under the scheme in the coming weeks. The level of discount offered by Kildare for the sites is dependent on the costs to the Council to service the sites to bring them to market.
A further 154 sites have been identified by various local authorities for potential sale under the scheme. Theses are at various stages of consideration by the relevant local authorities. My Department is working with those local authorities to progress the sites.
The conditions of the Ready to Build Scheme do not preclude prospective applicants from availing of other Government initiatives such as the Help to Buy Scheme or Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan.
429. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the support available for Kildare’s Draft Traveller Accommodation Programme 2025-2029, particularly how it will address the accommodation needs of Travellers in the county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42584/24]
View answerThe Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides that the role of my Department is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist housing authorities in providing accommodation for Travellers, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding.
The Act provides that housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) in their areas.
My Department makes funding available to local authorities annually for the provision of Traveller-specific accommodation. My Department ceased the practice of allocating specific budgets to individual local authorities and implemented a new allocation process following a review of arrangements for the disbursement of funding provision and related supports for Traveller-specific accommodation. Since 2020, it is open to all local authorities to apply for and drawdown funds at any time throughout the year and this is actively encouraged by my Department. Full spend of the Traveller accommodation budget has been achieved for the past four years. The capital funding available for 2024 is €21 million for the provision of Traveller-specific accommodation to be provided by local authorities.
430. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review the rules to allow an exemption for landlords in rent pressure zones that have been introduced to vary the 2% increase on the rents they charge where they have not increased the rent for at least two years prior to the zones being introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42598/24]
View answerThe Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Act 2021 introduced measures in July 2021 to better protect tenants with affordability challenges by prohibiting any necessary rent increase in a Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) from exceeding general inflation, as recorded by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP).
The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2021 provides, from 11 December 2021, for a cap of 2% per annum pro rata on rent increases in RPZs over the period since the last rent setting, where the inflation rate (as recorded by HICP) is higher. In effect and subject to limited exemptions, rents in RPZs may only increase by a maximum of 2% per annum pro rata during times of higher inflation. In all cases, section 19(1) of the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2024 prohibits the setting of a rent that exceeds market rent.
Part 25 of the Planning and Development Act 2024 amends the Residential Tenancies Acts 2002 to 2024 to extend the operation of rent controls for a further year until 31 December 2025 and to provide for related matters.
The Housing for All Action Plan Update, published in November 2023, includes a priority action to publish a review of the operation of the private rental sector. The Private Rental Sector Review was published in July 2024 - and can be accessed on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/168d4-private-rental-sector-review/.
The review noted issues arising from the current system of rent controls and also the need to ensure that the regulatory system for the rental market adequately balances the interests of landlords and tenants. The review recommended a comprehensive examination of the current RPZ system in the light of market changes and experience in other jurisdictions, in advance of the expiry of RPZs at the end of 2025. The examination of the RPZ system will consider whether rent controls should be continued, adapted or removed.
My Department has requested the Housing Agency to undertake the review of RPZs, which will also examine the recommendation of the Housing Commission to establish a system of 'Reference Rents'. It is expected that this review will be completed by end of Q1 2025.
432. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage if he will provide on update on the new proposed River Shannon, Grand and Royal Canal and Barrow Navigation bye-laws; if Waterways Ireland has provided any update in relation to feed and charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42642/24]
View answerWaterways Ireland proposes to update the Shannon Bye-laws and Canal Bye-laws which are more than 30 years old and no longer fit for purpose. The needs of users have changed, environmental landscape and health and safety considerations have developed significantly and the waterways themselves have been transformed over the past thirty years. The purpose of updating the Bye-laws is to make the waterways safer for those using the waterways, blueways and greenways, and continue to provide a valuable recreational experience for everyone to enjoy.
Waterways Ireland undertook an extensive public consultation over two periods totalling 178 days between June 2023 and February 2024 on the proposed revisions to the Bye-laws.
More than 4,000 invitations to participate were sent to interested groups, public representatives, statutory bodies and the general public. Waterways Ireland held 10 public consultation meetings, facilitated 27 stakeholder meetings and received 1,799 submissions to its consultation. Waterways Ireland also addressed the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Heritage and Local Government on two occasions and the Public Accounts Committee on one occasion where the draft Bye-laws were discussed.
Having considered all contributions to the consultation, Waterways Ireland provided an initial draft of proposed revisions to the Bye-laws to my Department for consideration. Whilst acknowledging the comprehensive consultation undertaken, the dedication and effort that went into developing the proposals and the underlying imperative for the bye-laws to be updated and made fit-for-purpose, I requested that Waterways Ireland reflect further on the proposed fees and charges in light of inflationary and cost-of-living pressures on people day-to-day, and similar cost and pricing pressures in the leisure and tourism sectors.
Waterways Ireland has carefully considered its draft proposals in relation to fees and charges and I am pleased to say, has recently submitted a further revised draft of the Byelaws to my Department for detailed consideration and legal review. This process has just commenced, and will need some time to complete.
It is important to note that no changes can be made to the existing Byelaws, permits, or charges and fees until the legislative process associated with the formal adoption and signing of the Byelaws has concluded.
433. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide the details of costings provided to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, in the context of the National Development Plan 2021-2030 review conducted earlier this year; and to provide a breakdown of each project and its projected cost in each of the years 2025 to 2030. [42720/24]
View answerAs part of the National Development Plan review this year, the government undertook major steps to accelerate the delivery of critical infrastructure projects. Following the conclusion of the review process, which took place from January to March, the distribution to departments of an additional €2.25 billion of windfall corporation tax receipts over the period 2024-26 was agreed by Government on 27 March 2024. The additional €2.25 billion builds on the existing funding of €165 billion already available under the NDP and with updated Departmental Capital Ceilings for 2024-2026 published by the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, which can be accessed at the following link:
www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/289023/1ae0b805-81bb-4221-ae56-00e044bb8d51.pdf#page=null
In addition to this, an additional €1 billion in Voted Capital expenditure has been provided to my Department this year by way of a Supplementary Estimate, as agreed by the Government on 15 October 2024. This additional investment, will bring the total capital allocation for the Housing, Local Government and Heritage Vote Group to over €4.9 billion this year (excluding capital carryover).
Looking forward, as part of Budget 2025 an additional €305 million in Voted Capital expenditure was added to my Department’s allocation next year, over and above the NDP Capital Ceilings agreed by Government in March. Revised Capital Investment Allocations for 2025 and 2026 are set out in the Budget 2025 Expenditure Report, available via the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/3ab46-budget-2025-expenditure-reports/
Subhead level allocations on the 2025 Voted Capital allocation will be set out in the Revised Estimates Volume for Public Services (REV) due to be published by the Minister of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform later this year.
Funding at a Programme and Subhead level for 2027 onwards for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has not been finalised at this stage and will be set out in due course by the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.
In relation to detailed costings and a breakdown of projects, my Department is delivering thousands of projects across Housing, Water, Planning, Heritage and Local Government schemes. Costings at individual project level did not form part of the engagement with the National Investment Office.
Details in relation to specific projects (which are being advanced primarily by local authorities and Uisce Éireann) under my Department's range of capital programmes as part of Project Ireland 2040: National Development Plan 2021-2030 are published by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform on their website. The MyProjectIreland Tracker and MyProjectIreland Interactive Map, a citizen-focused interactive map developed as part of Project Ireland 2040 in partnership with the National Mapping Division, Tailte Éireann, provide details of projects around the country. These are both available to be viewed at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/f828b-myprojectireland-interactive-map/
In terms of social housing delivery, my Department publishes the Construction Status Report on a quarterly basis, and contains detailed information on the status and scale of the social housing construction programme by local authority. The most recent report, for Q2 2024, is available on my Department’s website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/cb885-social-housing-construction-projects-status-reports/
With respect to water services projects, the prioritisation and progression of individual projects is a matter for determination by Uisce Éireann. Uisce Éireann has established a team to deal with queries from Oireachtas members on issues arising in relation to its activities. The team may be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on a dedicated number 0818 578 578. Alternatively, Uisce Éireann provides full details of their projects and plans to improve water and wastewater services on their website at the following link: www.water.ie/projects-plans/
434. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to set out the tenant in situ scheme targets for each local authority for 2025, in tabular form. [42768/24]
View answerUnder Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022-2026. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new build projects delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).
Under Housing for All there was provision for 200 social housing acquisitions per annum. For 2023 and 2024, the Government agreed that there would be increased provision for social housing acquisitions and my Department provided funding for local authorities to acquire at least 1,500 social homes per annum. The additional acquisitions have primarily focused on properties where a tenant is in receipt of social housing supports and has received a Notice of Termination due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property. My Department issued a circular in March 2023, setting out details of these arrangements.
My Department issued a circular letter to all local authorities in March, setting out details of these arrangements and each local authority was provided with a provisional allocation for social housing acquisitions in 2024. No targets or allocations have been issued for 2025 but will be considered in due course.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social and affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority, including completed acquisitions. From 2023, this data includes a breakdown of acquisitions completed by each local authority where a Notice of Termination issued to a tenant and is available, for all local authorities, to the end of Quarter 1 2024 on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/. Data for Q2 2024 is currently being collated and will be published shortly.
435. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to legislate for the Dublin Bay Bill 2021. [42821/24]
View answerThe Private Members' Bill regarding Dublin Bay proposes the establishment of a new statutory authority to take on responsibility for co-ordinating the work of the many agencies and bodies currently engaged in planning and development of the Bay Area.
As the Deputy is aware, there is already in existence a non-statutory Dublin Bay Bathing Water Task Force. It was established in 2019 and its focus is to protect and restore water quality to support biodiversity and to protect public health. The Task Force includes representatives of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Uisce Éireann and the local authorities around Dublin Bay. It is coordinating actions across these bodies to ‘identify, assess and, where necessary, to remediate or eliminate sources of pollution entering Dublin Bay. It is also working closely with Professor Wim Meijer and his ‘Acclimatize’ research team in the School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science at UCD to identify sources of pollution pressures in Dublin Bay. The data gathered by the research team provides robust scientific data required to help the local authorities to target their efforts in implementing actions to deal with sources of pollution entering Dublin Bay.
The Bill also puts forward a proposal to amend the Bathing Water Quality Regulations 2008 to extend the bathing season around Dublin Bay to the entire year. In June of this year, the Bathing Water Quality (Amendment) Regulations 2024: www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2024/si/322/made/en/print#:~:text=A%20local%20authority%20shall%2C%20in,such%20manner%20as%20may%20be were adopted. The Regulations empower the local authorities to define the bathing season at bathing sites within their jurisdiction annually.
Therefore, while the Government supports the objectives of the Dublin Bay Bill put forward, the existence of the Dublin Bay Bathing Water Task Force and the provisions of the Bathing Water Quality (Amendment) Regulations 2024 address those objectives in an effective and proportionate manner.
436. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage the current position regarding publication of the final management plan for an area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42857/24]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 59 of 19 September 2024, which sets out the position in this matter.
In addition, the NPWS of my Department met with the ESB most recently at Inniscara on 19 September 2024 and provided comprehensive feedback on the draft Management Plan, which it expects will be taken into consideration prior to its finalisation and publication by the ESB in due course.
437. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of WTE fire advisors and senior fire advisors employed by his Department in 2023 and to-date in 2024, in tabular form. [42895/24]
View answerThe grade of Fire Advisor has not been used in my Department for some considerable time, while the grade of Senior Fire Advisor does not exist.
The following table sets out the number of FTE staff serving in the senior manager grades (i.e. Principal Officer equivalent) of my department's National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management at the end of December 2023 and September 2024.
|
Date |
Principal Advisor Higher Level |
Senior Assistant Fire Advisor |
|
31 December 2023 |
1.00 |
2.00 |
|
30 September 2024 |
1.00 |
2.00 |
438. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he can provide for several areas (details supplied) a list of all the individual projects to which his Department has provided funding since 2020, under the urban regeneration and development fund, in tabular form. [42923/24]
View answerEstablished under the National Development Plan 2018 – 2027, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) programme was launched in 2018 to primarily support the National Planning Framework’s (NPF) growth enablers for the five cities and other large urban centres.
The URDF is providing up to 75% funding for applicant led projects that will support more compact and sustainable development and enable a greater proportion of residential and mixed-use development to be delivered within the existing built-up footprints of our cities and large towns, while also ensuring that more parts of our urban areas can become attractive and vibrant places in which people choose to live and work, as well as to invest and to visit. It should be noted that the URDF programme does not fund schools.
In keeping with the aims of the (NPF) and Project Ireland 2040, the URDF demonstrates a new and more tailored approach to the provision of Government support. Over its planned duration up to 2030, URDF funding support of €2 billion will be targeted to support the regeneration and rejuvenation of our key towns and cities.
To date, there have been three rounds of funding provided under the URDF, with almost €1.9 billion allocated so far. Under Call 1 and Call 2, 132 proposals comprising of over 400 individual projects, were approved for funding.
Funding under the URDF scheme is allocated at Local Authority level only and not by constituency, therefore the attached table covers the full list of projects for Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Galway City Council, Galway County Council and Wicklow County Council. There were a few exceptions under Call 1 where non-Local Authority led projects were supported, mainly in these areas and so are also listed in the table.
Recouped amounts to date are at project level and not by year. A small amount of Call 1 project funding may have been recouped in 2019, the same year they were approved.
439. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if Tailte Éireann can refuse to release details of a folio to a party when that party had an interest registered on that folio and an instrument changed the registered interest to another separate folio without the interested party’s knowledge; whether all parties to a folio be entitled to receive details of changes to that folio where it directly affects them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42925/24]
View answerTailte Éireann is an independent Government agency under the aegis of my Department. Tailte Éireann provide a property registration system, property valuation service, and national mapping and surveying infrastructure for the State. Under Section 8(6) of the Tailte Éireann Act 2022, Tailte Éireann is independent in the performance of its functions.
The Land Register is a public record and an inspection or copy of any folio is available to any person on the payment of the prescribed fee as per the Land Registration Fees Order.
Regarding the question of notification of any changes to a folio, it is understood from Tailte Éireann that, in addition to the notice of completion sent to the lodging party of an application, generally a solicitor, notice is otherwise only served where required under section 106 of the Registration of Title Act 1964 (as amended by the Registration of Deeds and Title Act 2006) and the Land Registration Rules 2012 to 2021
Lodging parties may contact Tailte Éireann in relation to a specific case by email at info@tailte.ie. Further information in relation to specific cases may be obtained by Oireachtas members by contacting the dedicated e-mail address in respect of Tailte Éireann at oireachtas@tailte.ie.
442. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will implement a review of how the HMD form is working across councils to ascertain whether it places too heavy a load on disabled and ill people (the very people it is supposed to help); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42962/24]
View answerApplications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. The allocation of local authority dwellings, including the prioritisation of certain households, is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with their allocation schemes made under section 22 of this Act and associated Regulations.
A revised Social Housing Support Application Form was introduced with effect from 19 April 2021. The form includes an additional form which an applicant who wants to apply for assessment for priority support based on medical need or disability must complete (HMD-Form 1). The form is for anyone applying for social housing or a social housing transfer due to a disability or medical grounds. It provides for a variety and wider range of healthcare professionals to complete the form than previous iterations. This can include professionals involved with the person with a disability or medical condition, such as a consultant, general practitioner, mental health nurse, public health nurse, occupational therapist or social worker.
The purpose of the HMD1 form is to obtain sufficient information to allow the local authority to assess the nature of the applicant’s circumstances and determine the most suitable housing solution for them. Noting that the requirement to obtain a medical consultant’s letter was onerous, the Housing Agency established a Task Group who reviewed the application process and developed a new form. Use of the new form was piloted in four local authorities (Fingal, Kilkenny, Sligo and Leitrim) for several months in 2019 into 2020. Following the pilot, the Task Group recommended to my Department that the most appropriate approach would be to require two Healthcare Professionals to provide a professional opinion on the needs of the applicant. I subsequently brought forward the Social Housing Assessment (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 116 of 2021) which adopted the HMD1 form.
Where an applicant household cannot provide the necessary documentation, the local authority has discretion to request alternate documentation in order to satisfy itself in relation to any or all of the requirements.
443. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review the affordable housing scheme to ensure that these houses are actually affordable, regardless of location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42963/24]
View answerAffordability and the chance to own a home is at the heart of this Government’s housing policy. Since 2021 over 8,500 affordable housing supports have now been delivered through the various measures we have established and are currently implementing through our delivery partners.
Since the launch of Housing for All, close to 1,000 local authority affordable purchase homes at upfront affordable prices have been provided and the pipeline continues to grow as over 3,100 affordable purchase homes are approved for funding support across 21 local authority areas.
The upfront price that purchasers availing of the local authority affordable purchase scheme pay for their new home is based on their purchasing power and means. The affordability gap between the market value of the home and the upfront price being paid sets the size of equity stake held by the local authority, generally redeemable at a time of the purchaser's choosing.
Operating under similar principles, the First Home Scheme is a further key support for first-time buyers. Its published Quarter 3 2024 report showed that over 5,560 approvals have issued since its launch in 2022.
Together with the Croí Cónaithe Towns schemes and Help to Buy, these affordable purchase measures are seeing high demand and are proving highly effective in addressing the affordability challenges so many people are facing.
444. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to implement the recommendations of the Housing Commission report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42964/24]
View answerThe Housing Commission was established in December 2021 to consider housing policy post-2030 and to provide proposals building on Housing for All. The Commission delivered on this mandate earlier this year, providing a detailed direction of travel for the long-term development of the housing system.
My department has been undertaking a comprehensive examination of the report since prior to its publication, including a detailed consideration, mapping and scoping of the Commission's recommendations. An assessment of costings and the sequencing, prioritisation, timing and practicalities of implementation is also underway. The Commission did not address these aspects deeming them matters more appropriate for Government determination. The Housing Agency is supporting the Department's work in this regard.
This is a complex piece of work, not only because of the breadth of policy areas addressed, but also the quantum of actions involved, and the complex interplay between them. Nonetheless, work has progressed well since early Summer – including a number of engagements with the Commission, with more engagements expected as we plan and progress implementation.
The current analysis will inform a shorter-term updated Housing for All Action Plan later this year, as well as a renewed longer-term strategy for the next five to 10 years, with the latter focusing on 'scaling-up' actions that will facilitate the delivery of significantly increased housing targets between 2025 and 2034. These proposals will be brought to Government as appropriate in due course.
445. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the new resources he will make available to the DRHE in 2025 considering the relentless increase in numbers of people availing of emergency accommodation across the city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42965/24]
View answerMy Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing authorities.
While responsibility for the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities, the administration of homeless services is organised on a regional basis, with nine administrative regions in place. A homelessness consultative forum has been established in each region in accordance with Chapter 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009. It is a matter for the management group of the consultative forum, in the first instance, to determine the services and the funding required to address homelessness in each region, and to bring forward proposals to my Department that meet the needs of homeless individuals in their administrative area and the funding requirements will be considered in this context.
Exchequer funding for homeless services is provided through my Department to housing authorities on a regional basis. The DRHE provides a shared service on behalf of the four Dublin housing authorities with Dublin City as the lead authority.
My Department is in regular discussion with each housing authority in relation to funding requirements to meet their homeless services programme and I have continued to assure housing authorities that funding for all required homeless services, including the provision of emergency accommodation, will be provided this year. Exchequer funding of some €178 million has been provided to Dublin City Council towards the operation of the Dublin regional homeless services programme to date in 2024, with further funding to be provided to the end of the year.
446. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on group water schemes in County Mayo. [41435/24]
View answerMy Department’s Rural Water Programme provides capital and operational funding to Group Water Schemes (GWS). The responsibility for the implementation of the Programme is devolved to individual local authorities.
In each local authority there is a Rural Water Liaison Officer who is responsible for its the day to day administration including providing information on GWS. The officer can be contacted at the local authority offices, in this case Mayo County Council.
Details of the Programme are available on the Gov.ie website at the link under or from the local authority concerned: www.gov.ie/en/publication/a524a-group-water-schemes-and-rural-water-issues/
