Tenancy sustainment, or tenant-in-situ, is not a stand alone programme or scheme. It is an eligible category of acquisition introduced as part of my Department's Social Housing Second Hand Acquisitions Programme in 2023.
Tenant in situ acquisitions are an option for local authorities to support households in the most precarious housing situations. They are, and will continue to be, available to local authorities for use as a last resort when all other options have been exhausted. However, they will never be the sole, or even the primary, option. The default first options should almost always be securing the sustainment of the tenancy with the landlord, securing alternative accommodation through the Tenancy Sustainment and Placefinder services, or allocating a local authority or Approved Housing Body tenancy via a new build home or re-let.
No funding allocations were provided to local authorities under the 2023 or 2024 Second Hand Acquisitions Programmes. Rather, each local authority was provided with an overall number of acquisitions that could be supported through the programme, and this number was not disaggregated per category of acquisition.
An alternative approach was implemented in 2025, with individual funding allocations provided to local authorities. Some €5 million was allocated to Tipperary County Council. The allocation was not disaggregated by priority category and it was ultimately a matter for the Council to determine how best to deploy it.
Details on the number of tenant in situ acquisitions supported by my Department for Tipperary County Council in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and the funding drawn down each year for same, are set out in the table.
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Tipperary County Council - Tenancy Sustainment Acquisitions
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2023
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2024
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2025
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No of Units Funded
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37
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42
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6
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Funding Drawn (incl. refurb costs & fees)
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€7.2m
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€8.7m
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€2.38m
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An initial base allocation of €3 million has been provided to Tipperary County Council for 2026. The multi-annual funding approach introduced last year has also continued in 2026. This provides Tipperary County Council with the scope to commit up to the value of 30% of its base 2026 allocation (i.e. €900,000) 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.
A contingency fund of €16 million has also been retained and is available to local authorities that have drawn down most of their initial allocation but still have capacity to complete further acquisitions and draw down funding from my department this year.
Notably, Tipperary County Council has only drawn down 5% (or €153,000) of its allocation to date.
The management of acquisitions under the Second Hand Acquisitions Programme, including tenant in situ acquisitions, is a matter solely for local authorities. Accordingly, data on the number of cases considered but not progressed is not captured by my Department and should be sought directly from Tipperary County Council.
