The research published in July by the ESRI on population growth and structural housing demand to 2040 provides a credible evidence base for the development of revised housing targets by my Department. Officials in my Department have considered the implications of the ESRI research and estimated the level of unmet demand for the revised housing targets. They have also considered other policy imperatives, such as the appropriate mix of social, affordable and private ownership and private rental housing that will be r…

As the Deputy knows, I have been to Clare a number of times. The housing team in Clare are doing a very good job. Some homes are delivered directly by the local authority and some through approved housing bodies, and a combination of repair and lease is also bringing older buildings back into use. The years 2020 and 2021 were constrained due to the construction shutdowns during Covid, which seems like the dark, distant past at this stage. Since then, Clare County Council has delivered 595 new homes up to the end of…

The Deputy mentioned the overall national figures. If we look at 2023, just short of 12,000 social homes were delivered. Of those, 8,110 were new-build social homes. That was the highest number in 50 years. Mainly through the tenant in situ programme, we purchased 1,830 new homes, ended HAP tenancies and insecure tenancies and converted them to social housing tenancies. We delivered 1,999 new homes through various leasing programmes. That is a 16% step up on the previous year so we are building year on year and I c…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 62 together. In Cavan, 309 social homes were delivered through build, acquisition and lease since the formation of the Government to the end of quarter two of 2024, of which 216 were new-build homes. During the same period, 41 affordable homes were delivered. In Monaghan, 485 social homes were delivered through build, acquisition and lease since the formation of the Government to the end of quarter two of 2024, of which 353 were new-build homes. During the same period, 33 aff…

A total of 21 local authorities across the country have come forward with their own affordable housing schemes. We have other affordability measures. The Deputy mentioned the difficulties renters face in saving. That is why the help to buy grant is so critically important and applies to self-build homes as well. I know Sinn Féin's housing spokesperson is not here but that is a scheme he would get rid of and he would also get rid of the first home scheme, which also helps self builds. In fairness, some of Deputy Tul…

I will get the Deputy the exact tenant in situ purchases. The figure for cost-rental tenant in situ in her constituency is eight so I can confidently tell that the figure for the tenant in situ will be substantially higher than that. Last year, we purchased over 1,800 social homes. We will do more than that this year. In the Deputy's constituency, the figure is substantially higher than she said, but I will get her the figures. I will say that Sinn Féin provided no funding for the vacant property grant in its alter…

Under Housing for All, we made provision for the purchase of 200 social housing acquisitions and to permit that each year. In 2023, with the Deputy's support, the Government agreed that we would increase the provision and the allocation of funds for 1,500 social housing acquisitions. This has continued into 2024 and my Department will fund local authorities to acquire at least 1,500 social homes this year. Last year, we did more than 1,800, as the Deputy knows, and revised the target. The additional acquisitions ar…

The targets that were set were baseline targets. Like last year, I would like our local authorities to exceed those targets. It is difficult to get an average processing time because we are dependent on conveyancing, in particular, how that works out, and how smoothly it works. I find with most that once the property has gone sale agreed, it secures the tenancy in the main. We have come across issues. At the start of the scheme, we had transboundary issues, where a tenant might be on another local authority list. T…

On the ability of a local authority to breach the rent pressure zone rules, the ability to renegotiate a rent that breaches the rules is not there. As the Deputy knows, we are looking at that and at what will replace RPZs, which have been extended to the end of 2025. It will be a big job for the next government to look at what protections will be brought in in the future. It is important to again state that a local authority can purchase a home that is larger than the number of occupants, for example, a three-perso…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 57, 63, 66, 70 and 73 together. The vacant property refurbishment grant, or the Croí Cónaithe towns grant, is a key support introduced by this Government to bring vacant and derelict properties back into use. It is a significant grant. A grant of up to €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available to rent in the long-term rental market. A top-up grant of up to €20,000 is…

I might give some figures first, which might be helpful to the Deputies. In Cork city, 318 applications were received, of which 241 were approved. Only nine were rejected. The other applications are being processed and applications are still coming in. A total of 28 grants have been paid out in Cork city. That figure will accelerate substantially over the coming months. We are budgeting for approximately €94 million to be paid out through the grant this year, because we see where the 13-month period is, to answer D…

That is County Galway. Galway city is behind and we have engaged with the council. A total of 79 applications were received, of which 58 were approved. I can provide these details to Deputies across local authorities. To answer Deputy Ó Cuív's question, extensions can be granted. I have not had any case come back to me where a local authority said it would not extend it if it was reasonable to do so. We are not telling them not to.

On bridging finance, the local authority home loan is useful. I meet representatives from the three main banks regularly. I have met representatives of PTSB, AIB and Bank of Ireland to discuss this matter. The retail banks are pushing towards the green mortgages, which would be ideal to lend on and provide bridging finance. The meetings I had with them were positive. I have not met the credit unions. I know there has been engagement with them on this and that some credit unions are lending on the basis of the grant…

I assure Deputies that the review was sought by the three Ministers. Its purpose is not to stop this; I want to see it evolve, accelerate and improve in the future. It should be a mainstay from a climate perspective and from the perspective of urban and rural regeneration. I expect that we will come forward with some changes for above-the-shop accommodation very shortly.

I know.

Question No. 72 has been answered.

I will get Deputy Connolly more detail on this as I do not have the full supplementary reply. In 2022, the build target for Galway city was 305 and for Galway county the build target was 230. In 2023, the build target for the city was 219 and for Galway county it was 351. In 2020, the build target was 224 for Galway city and for Galway county the build target was 358. I do not have to hand the delivery target or what has been delivered against the target. I can certainly get that for Deputy Connolly. There is stron…

I will respond very quickly because I have the height of regard for Deputy Connolly. I can point to local authorities throughout the country that are exceeding the housing targets we have set.

I know that but we have to contrast and compare as well with regard to how some local authorities can deliver at scale while we need to support others that are not delivering at scale. I encourage all local authorities, which have more funding than they have ever had. That is why we will exceed social housing targets for new builds this year. We will exceed our affordable housing delivery this year. I am very anxious to see more homes built in the county and city of Galway. The LDA will be heavily involved, as Depu…

Is the Senator speaking to section 3?