The tenant in situ acquisitions programme has been a key measure in the prevention of homelessness since its introduction in 2023. Therefore, Government has agreed funding to continue the programme for 2025. My Department has notified local authorities on the extension of the programme, and a circular setting out the arrangements will issue shortly. In 2023, Fingal County Council purchased a total of 221 homes, exceeding the allocation of 125. In the first nine months of 2024, Fingal completed 116 secondhand acquisitions, exceeding its allocation of 100. My Department does not hold data on the number of acquisition applications that have been withdrawn or rejected, nor does it hold data on the timelines for such acquisitions. This information, and the details for requesting a review on decisions made, may be available from individual local authorities. My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity by local authorities and approved housing bodies in each local authority. Comprehensive data on social and affordable housing is published on my Department's website up to quarter 3 2024, including completed acquisitions. Data for all of these schemes up to quarter 4 2024 is being collected and collated at the moment.
Sentiment score: 0.07
I thank the Deputy for this important question. I am very much aware of the housing crisis right across this country that causes very serious pain and suffering for individual families as a result. That is why I am determined to get our housing deliveries increased at a significant level. The tenant in situ scheme is a programme to ensure that people do not become homeless. That is why €325 million has been made available for this year. Local authorities will be issued a circular in the very near future notifying them of their allocation of funding to purchase houses under the tenant in situ scheme.
Sentiment score: 0.11
I can assure the Deputies that this is an absolute priority for me. It is not ideal that it was not resolved before the general election. The funding is now in place. I will be acting with absolute speed to get this circular out. The very same people who are in that very distressing situation come to me. It might surprise Deputy O'Reilly but they do come to Fianna Fáil TDs as well-----
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-----and they come to my office and my clinics.
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The Deputy does not have a monopoly on sympathy in these situations. We are doing everything we can to address the housing crisis.
Sentiment score: -0.13
I thank Deputy Ardagh for raising this very important question regarding St. Michael's Estate in Inchicore. She has been pursuing a campaign and working extremely hard on the matter for some time. Under Housing for All, the Government set out plans to deliver 54,000 affordable homes, including 36,000 affordable purchase and 18,000 cost-rental homes, by 2030. To deliver on this objective, the Government has put in place a comprehensive range of supports for affordable home ownership and cost-rental homes being delivered by local authorities, approved housing bodies, the Land Development Agency and via the first home scheme, which is a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks. To assist the delivery of cost rental homes by local authorities, funding is made available by my Department from the affordable housing fund to reduce the delivery cost of homes to local authorities and thereby reduce the cost of rents to a level at least 25% below market rents in the area. Dublin City Council is availing of the highest level of funding support available from the fund, at €150,000 per unit, to facilitate the proposed redevelopment of lands at Emmet Road, Inchicore, which includes the site of the former St. Michael’s Estate. A total amount of €66.15 million has been approved in principle from the fund to support the 441 cost-rental homes proposed within the project. The development will have 578 homes in total, a community hub library, a creche, a supermarket, other retail outlets and a series of new public open spaces to create a vibrant new neighbourhood in Inchicore.
Sentiment score: 0.36
I again thank Deputy Ardagh for raising this matter. I know how hard she has pursued it. I do not foresee any further delays. There should not be any further delays. As stated, €66.15 million has been approved for allocation from the fund. This is an exceptionally large amount of money that is needed. Such a large amount deserves to be granted in respect of a project of this type. I will certainly do everything I can to ensure that we get shovels in the ground this year and get this much-needed project off the ground.
Sentiment score: 0.24
I thank the Deputies for their questions. Unfortunately, I cannot comment on the management situation. In the context of Deputy Ó Broin's question, I will get an answer for that. I do not have the information to hand.
Sentiment score: 0.13
I thank the Deputy for tabling this important question. I will address some of the issues that have arisen. The Government decided in 2017 that water charges would not be levied on domestic customers and that the funding of domestic water services would instead be met through general taxation and paid through my Department's Vote. This position remains unchanged. There is a provision for charging for excess use of domestic water services contained within the Water Services Act 2017. This provision is known as the household water conservation charge. It reflects the recommendations made in 2017 by the Joint Committee on Future Funding of Domestic Water Services and the previous programme for Government commitment to implementing these recommendations. The rationale behind the household water conservation charge was to encourage water conservation. It was not intended as a revenue measure. No further work is being done on this issue. This measure is not in the current programme for Government. as the Deputy rightly pointed out, and there are no plans to introduce it.
Sentiment score: 0.05
I again thank the Deputy for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity to reiterate the Government's position on it. I reiterate that there is no work being done on this issue. The measure is not in the current programme for Government. There are no plans to introduce it. We will not be taking any further action in relation to it.
Sentiment score: 0.04
There will not be any return. That has always been clear. There was a proposal by the previous Government to bring in water conservation charges. It is noticeable that Sinn Féin did not table a Bill to change the legislation during the previous Government's term of office. It has now put forward a Bill that has made the front page of a newspaper. It is interesting that when it was proposed to do this, Sinn Féin did not have any particular legislative proposals to stop it.
Sentiment score: 0.04
On Lismore, I do not have the information to hand. I will certainly raise the matter with Uisce Éireann, however. If the Deputy sends me the details, we will follow up on that. Of course, I am sure the situation in Cork is always kept under review by Uisce Éireann. However, I will again raise that matter with Uisce Éireann.
Sentiment score: 0.24
I thank the Deputy for raising this important question on the role of accessibility officers in Dublin City Council and the oversight mechanisms that are in place to ensure future housing developments meet universal design standards. These are issues in respect of which he has long campaigned, even before he came to the Dáil. Under the Disability Act 2005, each local authority is required to have at least one officer authorised to act as an access officer. Per the Act, the access officers in each local authority are responsible for providing or arranging for and co-ordinating assistance and guidance to persons with disabilities in accessing the services provided by the local authority. Each chief executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority. Part M of the building regulations sets out the minimum statutory requirements that a building must achieve in respect of access and use. Part M aims to ensure that regardless of age, size or disability, new dwellings are visitable. The accompanying technical guidance encourages building owners and designers to have regard to the design philosophy of universal design and to consider making additional provisions where practicable and appropriate. Housing for All provides the overall framework within which the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027 operates. Under it, we are committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing is made available with an appropriate mix of housing design types provided within social housing, including universally designed units. Local authorities play a key role in the planning and provision of social housing in their areas and decide on the number and types of dwellings to provide based on identified need. The National Disability Authority is undertaking an economic and social evaluation of the universal design housing model. My Department will consider this analysis as soon as it is published.
Sentiment score: 0.34
Their work should certainly not be treated as an add-on; it should be focused on ensuring compliance with the Disability Act. We have had a number of these officers in my local authority in County Wexford. They have been absolutely excellent in ensuring that the relevant requirements are met. I will certainly reach out to the local authorities to remind them of the importance of this role. I will also remind them that the role should be focused on the terms of what the officers involved should be doing, that is, ensuring people with disabilities have fair and equitable access – not just equality but actual equitable access - and ensuring their rights are being upheld. This is a human rights issue. The needs of people with disabilities are something with which I am particularly familiar. This is certainly a matter on which I will follow up. If the Deputy has any particular situations to highlight, he should provide the details to me and I will follow up on them.
Sentiment score: 0.40
I certainly agree with the Deputy. As someone who has served on a town council and a county council, I am a great believer in local democracy. We will be strengthening the role of county councillors throughout the country. We will be setting up a task force soon which will report quickly to ensure that councillors have their role to be able to hold officials to account where they are not meeting the standards. While we have highly capable officials throughout this country, there are times when perhaps the focus is not put on those key equality issues that should be. I certainly intend to ensure that happens. We will look at the funding piece as well in the context of local authorities. I will certainly pursue this matter.
Sentiment score: 0.47
Tenant in situ acquisitions were introduced by Government in 2023 in response to a reported uplift in sales by landlords under the HAP and RAS schemes. Such acquisitions have been an important measure in preventing homelessness. The Government therefore agreed to continue the programme in 2025. My Department has notified local authorities about the extension of the programme. A circular setting out the arrangements will issue shortly. The introduction of additional eligibility criteria for acquisitions this year is to ensure that priority categories such as tenant in situ, elderly and disabled persons and people exiting homelessness can benefit in an equitable manner from the second-hand acquisitions programme. Under revised arrangements for 2025, local authorities will receive a capital funding allocation for the acquisition of homes for priority categories, namely, tenant in situ, elderly and disabled persons and people exiting homelessness, as well as buy and renew acquisitions that tackle vacancy. The provision of a capital funding allocation will help promote best practice in obtaining value for money and provide local authorities with the flexibility to respond to the needs and priorities locally within the categories of need being prioritised. The tenant in situ acquisitions continue to be supported and prioritised where other solutions cannot be found for the affected tenants. The arrangements for 2025 will ensure a more targeted and focused acquisitions programme.
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It is not only families.
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In fairness, I think I was supposed to respond before Deputy Hearne, so if he wants to speak after me again, I have no difficulty with that. With the tenant in situ scheme, we believe that criteria need to be applied to it. It was introduced as a temporary measure. It is there as a last resort to prevent people from going into homelessness. I responded to all of this last night. It is somewhat frustrating that no one from the Labour Party or the Social Democrats was there last night for my response. Perhaps the two Deputies are now learning that, due to the pressures in the Oireachtas, there are many times when we cannot be in the Chamber every single moment. Anyway, we will leave it at that. I answered the question. Single people are not excluded. Putting the contrary out there is complete misinformation. I would be concerned that single people would not apply for the scheme because of the misinformation being put out there by both Deputies. There is flexibility in it. Like so many other schemes, there is a prioritisation being applied. That happens with local authorities for social housing schemes as well. We are prioritising families, older people and people with disabilities. I do not understand why the Deputies have an issue with prioritising the most vulnerable.
Sentiment score: -0.05