Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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56. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of social and affordable houses that have been completed in Cavan and Monaghan during this Government's term of office and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42911/24]

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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62. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government how he plans to enable local authorities to accelerate the provision of housing in Cavan and Monaghan considering that the Housing Commission recently reported the need for additional local authority housing of between 12,000 and 15,000 homes by 2050 and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42912/24]

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Minister report on the number of social and affordable houses that have been completed in Cavan and Monaghan under this Government's mandate? Will he detail how he plans to enable local authorities to accelerate the provision of housing in Cavan and Monaghan considering that the Housing Commission recently reported the need for additional local housing of between 12,000 and 15,000 houses by 2050? I think it was something between 900 and 1,100 in Monaghan.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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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 affordable homes were delivered. The quarter two social housing construction status report shows both local authorities have strong pipelines and between them have 660 new-build social homes either on site or at design and procurement stages.

A central element of Housing for All is to build institutional capacity. As part of the measures to support increasing that capacity, Housing for All commits to strengthening the capacity of local authorities, and it is doing that, to both programme manage and initiate, design, plan, develop and manage housing projects. It recognises that this requires the resourcing of the housing services of local authorities. Both Cavan and Monaghan received sanction to fill additional posts. Additional resources were also allocated to the Housing Agency project and procurement office to support local authorities and approved housing bodies deliver housing. I have visited Cavan and Monaghan on a number of occasions and have been very struck by the work both local authorities have done on conversion of vacant properties. An example is Fermanagh Street in Clones in Monaghan where exceptional work has been done with the delivery of housing for seniors. The completion and build out of what were previously ghost or unfinished estates is another example. I have been in the Deputy's constituency a number of times to view them. I am not sure if I have met her on any of my visits. She was certainly invited and is very welcome to come again. That is not a criticism because all of us are working hard to deliver those additional homes. I commend both local authorities on the work they are doing. We are providing the resources for them to do more. As I said in response to Deputy Wynne, I expect that there will be additional asks of our local authorities to deliver more social homes in 2025 and 2026 to the end of the decade. Last year, we built more new social homes than had been done in 50 years. That is not to say everything is resolved. Of course, it is not. There is certainly more that needs to be done in that space. Progress is being made and we want to step that up further. I am very confident because of the excellent people I have met on the ground in Deputy Tully's constituency. Two excellent housing teams and excellent management teams in the local authorities are really innovating in their delivery. From the larger towns in Cavan and Monaghan to the smaller villages, I see social housing being delivered. Of course, we want to scale that up and we will do that. We will continue to work very closely with our local authorities and approved housing bodies, which are a very important deliverer of social housing. Some Deputies in this House - not Deputy Tully - would question delivery by approved housing bodies but that it is a different type of social home. I can tell the House that when I see the excellent homes that are built through approved housing bodies and local authorities to the highest standards and meet the families getting the keys for their homes for life, I can see what a difference that makes to them. We need to do more and we will do more. I am confident that we can do more.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Could the Minister provide me with a bit more detail on affordable housing and how that was delivered? At my last meeting with Cavan County Council, my understanding was that it had not delivered any affordable housing? Does that mean it was done through the approved housing bodies or was it done by the council? I am not being critical of approved housing bodies, which do excellent work. We have quite a significant number of people on the housing list or in receipt of housing supports. More than 1,900 people in Cavan are in receipt of HAP. Not all of them are on the social housing list and many of those who are not on the list but are receiving HAP cannot afford to rent at current prices and cannot save for a deposit. They feel they are in no man's land. They need a large-scale affordable housing scheme where they can purchase or rent at affordable prices. Many other people are not in receipt of HAP because they are living at home with parents or sofa surfing among friends because they cannot find anywhere that will accept HAP. Even if they did, the rents are so sky high, they could not afford it and the council would not approve it anyway.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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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 Tully's colleagues regularly ask me parliamentary questions about how we can improve and extend the existing schemes.

Through the first home scheme in Cavan County Council, 23 homes have been delivered. In Monaghan, 15 homes have been delivered through the first home scheme so 38 families in the Deputy's constituency now have a home who would not have one if Sinn Féin was in government. The vacant property grant, which Sinn Féin said it would restrict, was drawn down by 15 and by 13 in Monaghan so it involved 28 homes - 66 in total. If we look at the cost-rental tenant in situ scheme, a further eight homes were delivered. They are the affordable homes that are being delivered but I want the local authorities to bring forward their own schemes as well.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I fully support the vacant property grant as does my party but we would change it. We would not scrap it as the Minister continually says. We would change it and make it better. The first home scheme drives up the price of housing. We know that. Perhaps my figures are incorrect but I believe that the tenant in situ scheme has only involved three properties in Cavan and five in Monaghan. People have come to me who are renting a house. The house goes on sale, they are in negotiations hoping the council will buy the house, the council is willing to buy the house but the next thing, all negotiations stop, they do not know why and they get no explanation. I have sought answers from the Minister but they are not provided, which is very frustrating for people because people want to know if there are issues around the house that could be resolved very easily, they would be willing to do that and they should be given that opportunity.

Housing is affecting everything in life. We heard today that we have a shortage of 1,000 primary school teachers. Many of them are leaving because they cannot afford to live here and the main reason for that is the cost of housing.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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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 alternative budget. It also brought forward a cap on salaries for people who could access it. I am glad the Deputy supports the scheme. I respect the fact people want a change but it is working. We have had more than 11,000 applications to it.

To get back to the affordable housing piece, I encourage all local authorities that have yet to bring forward affordable housing schemes of their own delivery to do so as well. The affordable housing we have been able to deliver in Cavan and Monaghan has been delivered through the first home scheme and the vacant property grant, with the assistance of the help-to-buy grant. I will get the figures for the tenant in-situ scheme and send them to the Deputy. I do not have them to hand.