Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 March 2026
241. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of tenant-in-situ acquisitions by Cork County Council since 1 January 2026; the number of these are progressing; the number of these are not progressing; the reasons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17689/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe management of acquisitions under my Department's Social Housing Second Hand Acquisitions Programme, including for tenancy sustainment (via tenant in situ), is delegated to the local authorities.
Critically, 'tenant in situ' 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. It should only be used as a last resort by local authorities when all other options have been exhausted. It is a matter for each local authority to determine whether a tenant in situ acquisition is the appropriate policy response in a given situation.
The parameters of the 2026 Social Housing Second Hand Acquisitions Programme, including individual local authority priority category allocations were notified to all local authorities via Department Circular last week.
Some €373 million will be available for drawdown by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies under the 2026 programme priorities as follows:
• Exits from Homelessness Acquisitions - €150 million
• AHB Priority Delivery Acquisitions, supporting older persons, persons with disabilities, care leavers - €50 million
• LA Priority Delivery Acquisitions, supporting inter alia tenancy sustainment or tenant-in-situ acquisitions - €157 million.
A contingency fund of €16 million will also be retained. It will be available for local authorities that have recouped most of their initial allocation but still have capacity to complete further acquisitions and drawdown funding from the Department this year.
The funding available is sufficient to support at least 1,000 acquisitions this year.
The multi-annual approach introduced last year will continue in 2026. Local authorities may commit up to the value of 30% of their base 2026 allocations (total c. €85 million) for acquisitions that will complete or drawdown funding in 2027. This will allow priority acquisitions to progress in the closing months of 2026, with certainty on funding in 2027, if such purchases do not complete this year.
Cork County Council’s allocation under the 2026 Social Housing Second Hand Acquisitions Programme is €9.5m. This is an increase of €1.865m (c. 24%) on their 2025 Acquisitions spend. Cork County Council have not drawn down any of their 2026 allocation to date.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics quarterly for social housing delivery, including for social housing acquisitions by local authorities. These data are currently available to end Q3 2025 and can be accessed at www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/. Q4 2025 data are currently being compiled and validated and will published in due course.
