Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 September 2026
473. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the funding in 2026 for the rightsizing element of the Social Housing Acquisitions Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68590/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department's Social Housing Second-Hand Acquisitions Programme is available to local authorities to support social housing qualified households in the most challenging and precarious housing situations, helping prevent such households from falling into homelessness and supporting those in homelessness to exit into permanent housing.
Accordingly, it funds local authorities to acquire properties, as a last resort emergency option when no other solution is available, under the following priorities:
• Exits from homelessness;
• Supporting older persons, persons with disabilities, care leavers, &c; and
• Preventing homelessness and tenancy sustainment.
The programme only supports social housing qualified households in urgent need of housing. Generally, the default first options must always be an existing or new build local authority or AHB owned social home, or an alternative social housing supported tenancy in the private rental sector.
My Department has never operated a private rightsizing scheme. Some local authorities may have operated such schemes independently and included them in the allocations policies in their capacity as Housing Authorities. It is a matter for those authorities to make provisions for such policies.
