Like everyone else, I wish the Ceann Comhairle, the staff and our colleagues, Deputy Hearne and my colleague here, the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, all the best and a good Christmas. Everyone needs a break. I wish everyone a peaceful, productive and robust new year. I wish to thank Deputy Hearne for raising this matter and for the opportunity to update the Dáil on tenant in situ acquisitions. I am taking this matter on behalf of James Browne, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Acquisitions with tenants in situ are a category of purchase under the second-hand acquisitions programme which help prevent social housing supported households in the private rental sector, such as HAP, from becoming homeless. In this regard, tenant in situ acquisitions are a policy tool available to local authorities once all other options and measures to prevent a household becoming homeless have been examined. Along with the clear focus of Government on increasing the supply of new build social and affordable homes, a targeted social housing acquisition programme has been, and will continue to be, an important policy response to priority needs. The Minister for housing has this year secured funding to a total of €325 million to fund acquisitions under his Department's social housing second-hand acquisitions programme, an increase from €60 million per year committed to under Housing for All. Dublin City Council has been allocated €95 million of this funding. This allocation funds acquisitions under four categories, including: exits from homeless services; tenancy sustainment, namely tenant in situ; persons with disabilities and older persons requiring urgent housing responses; and buy and renew actions tackling vacancy and dereliction. More recently, the Minister has secured an additional €50 million which has been ring-fenced for acquisitions supporting households, particularly those larger families with children and Housing First clients, to exit long-term homeless accommodation. Of that, Dublin City Council were allocated €22 million. To date this year, nationally, 163 acquisitions have been completed to support exits from homelessness and into housing. A further 482 tenant in situ acquisitions have been completed, ultimately preventing those households from becoming homeless. Dublin City Council has completed 59 acquisitions to support households exiting homelessness into housing and 134 tenant in situ acquisitions preventing these households from becoming homeless. The Department does not have to hand the number of these that were in the Dublin North-West constituency but the officials in Dublin City Council can provide this information. With more than 16,600 persons in this State without a home, including some 2,450 families and more than 5,200 children, our focus has to be to maximise the impact of the funding available to us for those households facing the most precarious housing situations. Where Dublin City Council acquires a property with a tenant in situ and where refurbishments are required the property will be put into their planned maintenance programme for future consideration. I do not know the particular circumstances of the family whose case the Deputy raised but I have no doubt it is very difficult. If the Deputy would like to bring the particular circumstances to the Minister for housing and the Department, it is something we can follow up. I do not know the particular circumstances but there are obviously issues of confidentiality as well. The tenant in situ scheme is part of the overall acquisition scheme itself in terms of a local authority's purchase programme. The refurbishment fund is to allow local authorities to acquire properties under HAP, where there is a tenant. Properties must be maintained to a standard and conform to the regulations for rental properties. Any refurbishment should be provided by the local authority under its planned maintenance programme.

Sentiment score: 0.23

Once again, I thank Deputy Hearne for raising this matter, which I am taking behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne. I urge the Deputy to provide those details on behalf of his constituents to the Minister and the Department. Supporting households at risk of experiencing homelessness remains a priority for the Government. The tenant in situ scheme is a key measure in this regard. There was scope available within the original €325 million to support all acquisitions that could be completed. Local authorities that indicated they would expend their full allocation but could progress and complete additional acquisitions by drawing down the relevant funding this year were approved to do so. Dublin City Council was approved to progress additional acquisitions on this basis. That is important to note. Local authorities have also been authorised to enter into commitments for 2026 to a value of up to 30% of their original 2025 acquisitions budget. This has allowed them to commit some €95 million extra in 2025 for acquisitions that will complete and draw down next year. This effectively provides for a multi-annual approach to programme delivery, facilitating local authorities to plan and progress acquisitions from one year to the next with a higher level of certainty vis-à-vis future funding availability. This provides Dublin City Council with the ability to commit €28.5 million for acquisitions that will complete and draw down in 2026. This includes acquisitions to support exits from homelessness and tenancy sustainment via the tenant in situ scheme. The Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, is committed to supporting and funding the acquisition of properties with tenants in situ, where all other options and measures to prevent households becoming homeless have been examined. Ultimately, it is all about increasing housing supply. That remains the key focus, but it is also a priority in terms of dealing with homelessness. Part of that is the tenant in situ scheme, which is there to contribute in terms of preventing people from going into homelessness. I wish everybody a happy Christmas.

Sentiment score: 0.38