Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 March 2025
30. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to report on the extra €265 million funding recently announced for housing acquisitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12539/25]
View answer46. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of tenant in situ properties acquired in 2024; the number he expects to be completed in 2025; to provide a breakdown of the €265 million announced for housing acquisitions, including unit allocation, by local authority; if the allocation of funding for tenant in situ includes funding for refurbishments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12702/25]
View answer49. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when local authorities will be informed of their specific allocations from the extra €265 million he announced in funding for housing acquisitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12708/25]
View answer72. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the tenant in situ allocations for each local authority in 2025; the number of acquisitions that, although the process had commenced, did not complete as a result of the Government decision to suspend the scheme, by local authority area, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12807/25]
View answer76. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will increase funding for the tenant in situ scheme to meet demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12670/25]
View answer113. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a breakdown, on a local authority basis, of the number of tenant in situ purchases made by local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12881/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 30, 46, 49, 72, 76 and 113 together.
Tenant in Situ Acquisitions were introduced by way of Government decision in 2023 as a short term response to the reported uplift in sales by landlords of homes which were within the HAP and RAS schemes in order to prevent potential homelessness where other solutions could not be found for the affected tenants.
A further Government decision extended such acquisitions into 2024 with approval granted for 1,300 Tenant in Situ acquisitions in addition to the 200 priority acquisitions target for 2024 contained in Housing for All.
Tenant in Situ acquisitions have been an important measure in the prevention of homelessness since their introduction in 2023. Government has agreed therefore increased funding for second hand social housing acquisitions from the €60m allocated under Housing for All to €325m through the allocation of an additional €265m. My Department has notified local authorities on the extension of the second hand acquisitions programme and a circular setting out the arrangements will issue shortly.
Under revised arrangements for 2025 local authorities will receive a capital funding allocation for the acquisition of homes for priority categories; tenant in situ, elderly and disabled persons, exits from homelessness and Buy and Renew acquisitions which tackle vacancy. The provision of a capital funding allocation will help promote best practice in obtaining value for money and provide local authorities with the flexibility to respond to needs and priorities locally within the categories of need being prioritised. Details regarding this capital funding allocation will be clearly set out in the circular that will issue shortly.
Local authorities have delegated sanction in relation to acquisitions within their funding allocation subject to those acquisitions being within Acquisition Cost Guidelines issued by my Department.
Tenant in situ acquisitions continue to be supported and prioritised where other solutions cannot be found for the affected tenants. The arrangements for 2025 will ensure a more targeted and focused acquisitions programme.
Local authorities take appropriate steps to ensure that their first response will be to support households to prevent homelessness in cases where tenants have been served with a notice of termination by their landlord. A local authority will assess the options available in each case and decide the appropriate action.
My Department does not hold data on the number of social housing acquisitions applications that have been considered, withdrawn or rejected, nor does it hold data on the timelines for such acquisitions. This information, and the details for requesting a review on decisions made, may be available from individual local authorities.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority. Comprehensive data on social and affordable housing is published on my Department's website up to Quarter 3 2024, including completed acquisitions.
Data for all of these schemes up to Q4 2024 is being collected and collated.
