I propose to take Questions Nos. 674 to 679, inclusive, together.
Tenancy sustainment, or tenant-in-situ, is a priority category under my Department's Second Hand Acquisitions Programme. It is not a scheme, rather it is a policy tool available to local authorities to prevent social housing supported households in the private rented sector from falling into homelessness.
The Programme for Government commits to continuing support for tenancy sustainment acquisitions as an option for local authorities to support households in the most precarious housing situations. Such acquisitions are, and will continue to be available to local authorities for use as a last resort when all other options have been exhausted. They will never be the sole option, and the default first options should almost always be the retention of the tenancy where possible, an alternative private rented tenancy, or the tenancy of a local authority or Approved Housing Body social home.
Delivery of new additional social homes is the only strategic solution to address long-term homelessness, with allocations from new and existing local authority and AHB social homes the primary means through which social housing qualified households should be accommodated. With the social housing new build programme gathering momentum and providing more social housing, this will allow for a reduced reliance on the second hand acquisitions programme over the coming years.
Financial allocations were not provided to local authorities in 2023 and 2024. Neither were targets set for tenancy sustainment or any other acquisitions in these years. Instead, each local authority was authorised to complete a specific number of acquisitions within the overall scope available under the Programme of 1,500 homes in each year.
A different approach was taken in 2025. A financial allocation (generally based on the level of acquisitions in previous years), rather than a 'unit allocation' was provided to each individual local authority to support acquisitions across the priority categories as deemed appropriate. This approach sought to promote best practice in obtaining value for money, while providing local authorities with the flexibility to respond to priorities locally within the priority categories. This model is likely to be continued in the 2026 programme.
More than adequate funding was available under the 2025 programme to complete any acquisitions needed to respond to urgent cases. Some €325 million was allocated initially and local authorities had sole discretion vis-à-vis the scale of acquisitions progressed under any of the priority categories. No decision was taken to limit acquisitions under any category.
Indeed, local authorities that indicated last year they would likely expend their full initial allocation, but could progress and complete additional acquisitions, and draw down funding from the Department before year-end, were given approval to do so. This included Fingal County Council, which was initially allocated €20 million, but recouped just over €24 million by year end.
Ultimately, local authorities only recouped €290 million of the initial €325 million made available. Moreover, at end-January 2026, they had committed less than half of the €95 million available to them to commit in 2025 for acquisitions completing in 2026.
Details and allocations in respect of the 2026 Second Hand Social Housing Acquisitions Programme will be announced shortly. Significant funding will again be made available to help alleviate shorter-term pressures, affording local authorities the flexibility needed to respond while they scale up their construction programmes. I expect the allocations for 2026, when announced, will be more than adequate to support any priority acquisitions that may be needed throughout the year.
