Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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346. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will consider a policy change to Government’s various assistance schemes for first-time buyers based on a policy matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46681/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Housing for All delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system and my Department has introduced a number of initiatives to support the delivery of affordable homes for purchase by first time buyers.

The Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme (LAAPS) was introduced to assist first-time buyers purchasing Local Authority-delivered new homes. This scheme uses an equity share model to give eligible purchasers the opportunity of home ownership at a significant discount. The assessment of eligibility and the level of support available is household-specific, so purchasers are only supported when they need this assistance to afford the home.

The First Home Scheme, launched on 7 July 2022, employs a similar equity share model in order to support the purchase of new homes in the private market. Full details of the First Home Scheme are available at: www.firsthomescheme.ie.

The First Home Scheme Ireland DAC (Designated Activity Company) was established for the purposes of managing and overseeing the First Home Scheme on behalf of all participants. Any policy change or expansion of the Scheme would be a matter for consideration by the First Home Scheme DAC and its Board. In relation to HTB and First Home, the FHS can fund up to 30% of the property purchase price or build cost (for Self-builds), with this amount reduced to 20% if the applicant is availing of the Help to Buy Scheme (HTB).

The Help to Buy (HTB) incentive is a scheme to assist first-time purchasers with the deposit they need to buy or build a new house or apartment. The Help-to-Buy scheme is administered by the Department of Finance and any development or expansion of the scheme comes under the remit of that Department. Details of HTB can be found on Revenue’s website: www.revenue.ie.

As Minister, I continue to consider all options that support innovation and the delivery of affordable homes under Housing for All.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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347. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the subvention to local authorities for void housing units will be reduced from 25% to 20%; if so, the rationale for reducing the subvention; his views on the overall reduction from 65% subvention in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46693/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities and elected members have a very important role to play in this regard by making adequate budgetary provision for housing repairs and cyclical maintenance utilising the housing rental income available to them as part of the annual budgetary process.

Since 2014, Exchequer funding has also been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to supplement the local authority funding available for the preparation of vacant properties for re-letting. The funding was introduced originally to tackle long-term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted to support authorities to ensure minimal turnaround and re-let times for vacant stock.

The emphasis of the programme is on minimum refurbishment works to comply with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 to ensure quick turnaround and re-letting times. There is no specific subvention at 25% as per the question and therefore, the question of a reduction does not arise. Under the Voids programme, local authorities select properties for the programme and there is no upper cap on the amount that can be spent on an individual unit, providing the total amount averaged across all dwellings submitted by a local authority does not exceed €11,000.

From 2020 to the end of 2022, expenditure of some €117.5 million has been recouped to local authorities under the Voids Programme which funded the return to productive use of 8,339 social homes nationwide.

Furthermore, where local authorities complete the suite of works applicable to the Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme, additional funding to a maximum of €48,850 is available. This represents a significant increase in the funding available to local authorities when compared to funding available in 2018.

Given the very significant investment into the Voids Programme over recent years, local authorities should now be in a strong position to continue the transition to a strategic and informed planned maintenance approach to stock management and maintenance.

To that end, my Department and local authorities are working to transition from a largely response and voids-based approach to housing stock management and maintenance, to a planned maintenance approach as referenced in Housing for All, policy objective 20.6. This will require the completion of stock condition surveys by all local authorities and the subsequent development of strategic and informed work programmes in response.