Written Answers Nos. 274-287
274. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable housing units delivered via the cost rental equity loan, the affordable housing fund and project Tosaigh in Fingal in each of the years, 2016 to 2022; and the planned number to be delivered in 2023, with a breakdown of units per scheme and average price of units by unit size, in tabular form. [18765/23]
View answer275. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable housing units delivered via the cost rental equity loan, the affordable housing fund and project tosaigh in the constituency of Dublin west in each of the years, 2016 to 2022; and the planned number to be delivered in 2023, with a breakdown of units per scheme and average price of units by unit size in tabular form. [18774/23]
View answer276. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable housing units delivered via the cost rental equity loan, the affordable housing fund and project Tosaigh in County Donegal in each of the years 2016 to 2022; and the planned number to be delivered in 2023, with a breakdown of units per scheme and average price of units by unit size, in tabular form. [18784/23]
View answer277. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable housing units delivered via the cost rental equity loan, the affordable housing fund and project Tosaigh in Dublin mid-west in each of the years 2016 to 2022; and the planned number to be delivered in 2023, with a breakdown of units per scheme and average price of units by unit size, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18788/23]
View answer278. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in relation to the first home scheme and the right to first refusal for a tenant whose landlord wants to sell their rental home, if he is aware of the exact number of property owners who are prevented from selling their properties to a health board, local authority, housing authority or government agency due to a clause in their lease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18789/23]
View answerThe Government intends to introduce a process which would require a landlord selling a property to first offer it for purchase to the tenant or alternatively another designated body for the purposes of allowing the tenant to remain in the home via a cost rental arrangement.
Legislative and administrative measures are being examined to help a tenant to buy their rented home on the basis of a landlord offering their tenant first refusal to buy.
It is possible that some tenants, who are offered this first right of refusal, may wish to purchase the home but may be unable to secure a sufficient mortgage under the Central Bank’s macro prudential rules to meet the independent valuation. As such, the board of the First Home Scheme have agreed to extend eligibility to this cohort.
My Department is not aware of any instances where a local authority or Approved Housing Body has been prevented from acquiring a property for social housing due to contract restrictions. However, I am aware of the recent media coverage of one specific case and my Department will keep this matter under review.
The Housing Agency has purchased hundreds of apartments over several years, in its own capacity and on trust for local authorities, and the Agency has informed my Department that it has not been prevented from acquiring an apartment by a contract restriction preventing the owner from selling their apartment for social housing use.
279. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable housing units delivered via the cost rental equity loan, the affordable housing fund and project Tosaigh in the constituency of Louth east Meath in each of the years, 2016 to 2022; and planned number to be delivered in 2023 with a breakdown of units per scheme and average price of units by unit size, in tabular form. [18790/23]
View answer280. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable housing units delivered via the cost rental equity loan, the affordable housing fund and project Tosaigh in County Laois for each of the years 2016 to 2022; and the number planned to be delivered in 2023, with a breakdown of units per scheme and average price of units by unit size, in tabular form. [18797/23]
View answer281. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable housing units delivered via the cost rental equity loan, the affordable housing fund and project Tosaigh in County Offaly for each of the years 2016 to 2022; and the number planned to be delivered in 2023, with a breakdown of units per scheme and average price of units by unit size, in tabular form. [18798/23]
View answer282. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding the development of two marinas at Nutgrove Marina, Williamstown, and Whitegate, County Clare, as these marinas appear to be outside the jurisdiction line; and if there is either an encroachment licence or a lease in place with Waterways Ireland. [18806/23]
View answerEncroachment licences and leases in respect of properties such as the marinas referenced in the Question are managed by Waterways Ireland, a North South body sponsored by my Department and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland.
Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. This provides a speedy, efficient and cost effective system to address queries directly to the relevant bodies. The relevant contact email address for Waterways Ireland is ceoffice@waterwaysireland.org.
283. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable housing units delivered via the cost rental equity loan, the affordable housing fund and project Tosaigh in County Roscommon for each of the years 2016 to 2022; and the number planned to be delivered in 2023, with a breakdown of units per scheme and average price of units by unit size, in tabular form. [18817/23]
View answer284. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable housing units delivered via the cost rental equity loan, the affordable housing fund and project Tosaigh in Galway County for each of the years 2016 to 2022; and the number planned to be delivered in 2023, with a breakdown of units per scheme and average price of units by unit size, in tabular form. [18818/23]
View answer285. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the breakdown of local authorities with an access officer in place as per the Disability Act 2005; the date they were appointed; their contact details; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18847/23]
View answerUnder section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of overall local government sector employment levels. To this end, my Department gathers aggregate quarterly data on staff numbers in each local authority on a whole time equivalent basis. However, granular data, in terms of staff allocated to specific work areas within local authorities is not collected and consequently is not available in my Department.
Under Section 26(2) of the Disability Act 2005 each public body is required to have at least one officer authorised to act in the capacity of an access officer. That officer is responsible, where appropriate, for providing or arranging for and co-ordinating assistance and guidance to persons with disabilities in accessing the services provided by that body.
Further information regarding access officers would be available from each local authority.
286. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of completed housing schemes, public and private, in the various towns and villages throughout County Kildare currently awaiting allocation, sale and affordable process; the reason there appears to be an inordinate delay in relation to such matters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18874/23]
View answerHousing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland is Ireland’s housing plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year to 2030. Over 300,000 new homes will be built by the end of 2030, including a projected 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. The Plan is backed by investment with in excess of €20bn through the Exchequer, the Land Development Agency and the Housing Finance Agency to 2026.
Data in relation to housing commencements, broken down by local authority area, including Kildare County Council, is published by my Department on a monthly basis and can be accessed via the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/a5cb1-construction-activity-starts/
Data in relation to new dwelling completions, broken down by Local Electoral Area is published by the CSO on a quarterly basis and can be accessed via the following link:
www.cso.ie/en/statistics/buildingandconstruction/newdwellingcompletions/
The delivery of social and affordable housing is underpinned by local authorities' Housing Delivery Action Plans 2022 – 2026. A copy of Kildare County Council’s plan can be accessed via the following link:
kildarecoco.ie/YourCouncil/Publications/Housing/Kildare%20County%20Council%20Housing%20Delivery%20Action%20Plan.pdf
My Department publishes comprehensive social and affordable housing programme level statistics on a quarterly basis in all local authority areas, including Kildare County Council. This data is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/
My Department also publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR), which provides details of social housing developments that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and tender processes. The most recent CSR (for Quarter 4 2022) is available at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/14f82-social-housing-construction-projects-status-report-q4-2022/
Housing for All is working. Supply, which is key to improving our housing system, is increasing. In 2022, nearly 30,000 homes were completed representing an increase of 45% on 2021 (20,560) and 41% on 2019 (21,134), pre-pandemic. The 2022 total exceeds the Housing for All target of 24,600 by 5,251 (21%).
The social housing 2022 output represents the highest annual output in decades. 10,263 social homes were delivered in 2022 through build, acquisition and leasing. This represents an 11.9% increase on 2021 figures, when 9,169 social homes were provided. Of the 10,263 social homes delivered, 7,433 were new-build, a 43% increase on 2021 figures.
2022 represented the first year of a very ambitious programme of delivery of affordable housing. This momentum will continue with delivery stepping up this year. Affordable housing delivery figures show that 1,757 homes were delivered in 2022 through Cost Rental, the First Home Scheme and the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme. Over 2,700 more local authority affordable homes have already been approved for funding along with further affordable housing being planned by the LDA and Approved Housing Bodies. Data on delivery across all affordable housing streams during 2022 is available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/#affordable-housing-delivery.
The challenges arising in the housing market are under constant review right across Government and the Government and I continue to explore options to ensure that housing policy can and is being modified to deliver at an accelerated pace.
The Housing for All Action Plan Update (November 2022) and quarterly Housing for All Progress Reports can be accessed on my Department's website at the following links:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/da0d1-action-plan-update-and-q3-2022-progress-report/
www.gov.ie/en/collection/9d2ee-housing-for-all-quarterly-progress-reports/
287. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which it is expected to expedite the LIHAF and/or other traffic management proposals for Maynooth, County Kildare approved for more than ten years and, as yet, remaining dormant; if urgent steps can be taken to activate the proposals within the current year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18894/23]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 234 of 19 January 2023 which sets out the position in this matter.
