Written Answers Nos. 487-494
487. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline details of the location, by town name, of all social housing schemes completed for the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 in County Clare, as well as those currently in planning and under construction, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15592/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR), which 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 2024. All Construction Status Reports are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/cb885-social-housing-construction-projects-status-reports/
A version of the CSR file can also be downloaded for analysis of completions, locations, approvals stage etc. at the link below: https://opendata.housing.gov.ie/dataset/social-housing-construction-status-report-q3-2024
The Q4 2024 Construction Status Report is due to be published shortly.
My Department also 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. This data is available to the end of Q3 2024, 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/
Data for the Q4 2024 social and affordable housing delivery figures is currently being collated and validated.
Data in respect of granted planning permissions is collected and published quarterly by the CSO on its website. The data, which can be accessed at https://data.cso.ie/table/BHQ17, is disaggregated by local authority and dwelling type (apartment, multi-development house and one-off house).
Data on the number of permitted units at local electoral area level, or which will ultimately be delivered as affordable purchase or social homes, is not available.
488. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps his Department has taken to identify zoned, serviced lands owned by local authorities that could be utilised for delivery of social and affordable housing in that local authority; the area of such lands and numbers of housing, by local authority area; and whether those lands are the subject of applications for funding to his Department. [15594/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraHousing for All includes measures to support local authorities to acquire the necessary land required in order to meet social and affordable targets. As part of the measures Local Authorities began updating and providing details of their respective Landbanks. The National Social Housing Data Map was established by the Department in conjunction with the Local Authorities to capture this data. Details provided included land available for both social and affordable housing.
Each local authority was required to prepare a Housing Delivery Action Plan. This Plan sets out details of both social and affordable housing delivery as appropriate over the period 2022-2026, in line with targets set under Housing for All. The plans have been published on local authorities’ own websites.
The zoning of land for particular purposes, including housing, is an exercise undertaken by planning authorities as part of their overall statutory plan function generally as part of a development plan under sections 9 to 13 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended), but can at present also be carried out as part of a local area plan (LAP) process. The making of a development plan or an LAP is a reserved function of the elected members of each authority.
It should be noted in the first instance that the zoning of land within a development plan or a local area plan is not broken down on the basis of individual sites or parcels of land in individual ownerships.
However, the Land Development Agency (LDA) has developed the State Lands Database which provides a detailed and mapped representation of the extent and location of lands owned by public bodies, including local authorities in Ireland.
The constraints and limitations with difficulties regarding data and ongoing land registration means that the LDA will continue to update the State Lands Database to take account of information from local authorities and other public bodies on entries/records provided, and as new publicly owned sites are added to the webmap.
Details of the zoning status of lands identified in the State Lands Database are available as part of the information provided by the LDA. This zoning information is sourced from the MyPlan.ie platform which amalgamates the zoning information from statutory City and County Development Plans nationally.
The LDA has also completed the Register of Relevant Lands, being lands owned by local authorities and bodies listed under Schedule 1 and 2 of the Land Development Agency Act 2021, in urban population areas greater than 10,000. Both the State Lands Database and the Register of Relevant Lands are also available in an online map format on the LDA website at the following link: https://lda.ie/register-of-relevant-lands/map/
Where a local authority is seeking to deliver social housing, Exchequer funding is made available under the Social Housing Investment Programme (SHIP), my Department provides 100% of these costs to local authorities including the site costs.
Support from the Affordable Housing Fund is available to all local authorities to deliver affordable purchase and cost rental homes where an affordable housing need is evidenced.
In addition, the Housing for All Land Acquisition Fund was established in 2022 to support local authorities to acquire land to deliver new build social housing schemes and this was extended in 2024 to include land for affordable housing. The fund has an overall allocation of €239m and is managed by the Housing Agency.
The table below indicates the number of potential units in each local authority according to The National Social Housing Data Map. This includes lands that are zoned residential or mixed use and are either fully serviced or partially serviced. It would be a matter for the individual local authority to confirm when these sites are likely to be brought forward for development as this level of detail would not be held by my Department.
|
LA |
Number of Sites |
Total Potential Units |
SH Units |
AH Units |
|
Carlow |
5 |
200 |
190 |
10 |
|
Cavan |
2 |
22 |
22 |
0 |
|
Clare |
7 |
306 |
206 |
100 |
|
Cork City |
4 |
774 |
774 |
0 |
|
Cork County |
9 |
295 |
225 |
70 |
|
DLR |
8 |
488 |
464 |
24 |
|
Donegal |
19 |
681 |
681 |
0 |
|
Dublin City |
77 |
7,803 |
3,947 |
3,856 |
|
Fingal |
8 |
597 |
125 |
472 |
|
Galway City |
10 |
530 |
334 |
196 |
|
Galway County |
12 |
350 |
206 |
144 |
|
Kerry |
12 |
513 |
213 |
300 |
|
Kildare |
8 |
95 |
95 |
0 |
|
Kilkenny |
8 |
87 |
66 |
21 |
|
Laois |
9 |
101 |
101 |
0 |
|
Leitrim |
2 |
18 |
18 |
0 |
|
Limerick |
44 |
776 |
593 |
183 |
|
Longford |
12 |
16 |
16 |
0 |
|
Louth |
5 |
263 |
263 |
0 |
|
Mayo |
23 |
373 |
358 |
15 |
|
Meath |
14 |
156 |
141 |
15 |
|
Monaghan |
4 |
123 |
98 |
25 |
|
Offaly |
15 |
173 |
173 |
0 |
|
Roscommon |
5 |
120 |
120 |
0 |
|
Sligo |
7 |
108 |
108 |
0 |
|
South Dublin |
4 |
2,072 |
923 |
1,149 |
|
Tipperary |
23 |
433 |
377 |
56 |
|
Waterford |
7 |
89 |
79 |
10 |
|
Westmeath |
10 |
266 |
240 |
26 |
|
Wexford |
6 |
41 |
41 |
0 |
|
Wicklow |
11 |
385 |
385 |
0 |
|
Total |
390 |
18,254 |
11,582 |
6,672 |
489. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is considering revising the price ceiling for the first home scheme in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15668/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe First Home Scheme, which launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme, designed to help bridge the gap for eligible first-time buyers, eligible homebuyers, and self-builders, between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home (within price ceilings established across the country). Full details are available on the First Home Scheme website, www.firsthomescheme.ie.
The First Home Scheme Designated Activity Company (DAC) is fully responsible for the operation of the First Home Scheme on behalf of all shareholders, including price ceiling reviews. At its launch, the First Home Scheme Designated Activity Company (DAC) announced it would review all price ceilings at 6-month intervals. The DAC take into account a range of factors as part of these reviews, including the median price and volume of new builds purchased by first time buyers throughout local authority areas.
At the end of December 2024, the First Home DAC published the outcome of the fifth of its scheduled 6-monthly review of the price ceilings that apply to qualifying homes and subsequently revised price ceilings in relation to 3 local authority areas. The revised price ceilings came into effect on 1 January 2025.
More information on price-ceiling reviews is available at the following link: https://www.firsthomescheme.ie/about-the-scheme/property-price-ceilings/.
490. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether Uisce Éireann has the capacity to deliver water and wastewater infrastructure for 50,000 new homes to be delivered each year; what additional resources would be required to achieve that capacity if not currently available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15688/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government commits to investing additional capital in Uisce Éireann to support reaching our new housing targets. We will prioritise water and waste water infrastructure to deliver the capacity to facilitate housing development in our towns and villages.
This additional funding will be considered as part of the National Development Plan review which is due to be completed in the middle of the year.
Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels, and the scope, prioritisation and progression of individual projects is a matter for Uisce Éireann.
Uisce Éireann has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on a dedicated number, 0818 578 578.
491. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on the work of the working group initiated as part of a review of the Derelict Sites Act, 1990; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15700/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department initiated a review of the Derelict Sites Act in November 2021 and invited local authorities to make initial submissions on potential improvements to the legislative provisions and the way they are applied. A focused working group of nominated staff members from a number of local authorities was subsequently established. The group met on three occasions during 2022 and discussions on the review are ongoing and it is intended, in the context of related policies, legislative amendments and funding schemes that have been developed since the review commenced, in addition to the increasing challenge associated with dereliction, to now further consider the potential to improve the legislation and related supporting mechanisms.
Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government. To address this, a number of structures have now been established including a dedicated Vacant Homes Unit in my Department, a full-time Vacant Homes Officer in each local authority, and the publication of a ‘Vacant Homes Action Plan’ to draw together a number of vacancy related measures across relevant Government Departments.
In addition, a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) Activation Programme was also launched by my Department in April 2023. The Programme supports a proactive and systematic approach by local authorities to the activation of vacant and derelict properties. It also includes guidance for local authorities to actively use their legislative powers, including under the Derelict Sites Act, to acquire vacant and derelict properties, where engagement with owners has been unsuccessful. Support and guidance on implementation of the Programme is being provided to local authorities by the Vacant Homes Unit in my Department and by the Property Optimisation Unit in the Housing Agency.
A key focus in the Action Plan relates to the interaction with the Government’s ‘Town Centre First’ Policy Approach, which was launched by my Department and the Department of Rural and Community Development in 2022 and provides a whole-of-government policy framework to address the decline in the health of towns and support measures to revitalise them. To drive the delivery of Town Centre First, dedicated Town Regeneration Officers are now established within local authorities, supported by the National Town Centre First Office in the Local Government Management Agency and working closely within broader local government regeneration teams and local community Town Teams to improve the quality and vibrancy of our towns and urban areas.
My Department is also supporting local authorities through the €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) which is funding critical regeneration and infrastructure projects across the country in our town and cities. In particular, Call 3 of the URDF provided a €150 million revolving fund for local authorities enable them where appropriate to acquire long term vacant or derelict properties in URDF eligible towns and cities.
In addition, the scope for the engagement of additional staff resources in local authorities to assist in the more effective enforcement and implementation of the provisions of the Act is also being explored in my Department in the context of an ongoing review of the staff resourcing needs of local planning authorities generally. In this regard, a Ministerial Action Plan on Planning Resources was published in October 2024: www.gov.ie/en/publication/51194-ministerial-action-plan-on-planning-resources-october-2024/.
492. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of repair and lease homes funded by his Department from 2020 to 2024, in tabular form. [15730/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraData on the repair and leasing scheme in respect of all local authorities and by year to end Q3 2024 is published on my Department’s website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/#repair-and-leasing-scheme-rls
This includes the number of units delivered by each local authority since the launch of the scheme and the funding provided, both capital and current.
My Department is currently collecting data from local authorities for Q4 2024 and this data will be published in due course.
493. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he can provide a date for when a decision will be made regarding Fingal County Council's request for inclusion in the defective block scheme, given that the Housing Agency has completed its investigations and consultations and is currently drafting its report with a recommendation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15751/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to my reply to Question No. 232 of 20 February 2025 which sets out the current position in this matter.
