Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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349. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is conscious of the substantial progress made by Kildare County Council in utilising the tenant-in-situ purchasing scheme to combat homelessness; if he envisages approving a rolling programme for Kildare and other local authorities to maximise the benefits of the scheme; when fresh approval will issue to proceed with purchases, some of which were in-train, and others that will arise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3957/25]

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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351. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government in light of a constituent’s recent communication with Housing Acquisitions, where it was stated that there is no budget available for 2025 to purchase properties, if he will clarify why such constraints are in place despite prior Government commitments to address the housing crisis, specifically, what steps he is taking to ensure that landlords, who wish to sell properties without displacing tenants, can offer their properties to local authorities or housing agencies in a way that protects vulnerable tenants. [4017/25]

Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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366. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the total number of social housing properties acquired through the tenant-in-situ scheme and the cost rental tenant in-situ-scheme, respectively since their inception. [4420/25]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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375. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the tenant-in-situ scheme will be resumed in Dublin City Council. [4566/25]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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378. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for an update on funding to local authorities to complete tenant acquisitions (details supplied); and if there will be any amendments to the criteria for progressing acquisitions. [4624/25]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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382. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the reason the tenant in-situ-scheme has ended in local authorities around the country; when the scheme will recommence in all local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4661/25]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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383. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of applications to the tenant in-situ-scheme received by both Galway City and County Councils after the announcement that the tenant-in-situ scheme had been suspended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4662/25]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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384. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when an announcement on allocations for the tenant in-situ-scheme for 2025 will be made; the anticipated allocations for Galway City and County Councils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4663/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 349, 351, 366, 375, 378 and 382 to 384, inclusive, together.

The Tenant in Situ Acquisitions Programme was introduced by way of Government decision in 2023. It was originally intended as a short term response to the reported uplift in sales by landlords of homes which were within the HAP and RAS schemes in order to prevent potential homelessness where other solutions could not be found for the affected tenants.

A further Government decision extended the programme into 2024 with approval granted for 1,300 Tenant in Situ acquisitions in addition to the 200 priority acquisitions target for 2024 contained in Housing for All.

It is a matter for individual local authorities to identify suitable acquisitions in line with local circumstances and their social housing allocations policy. Local authorities take appropriate steps to ensure that their first response will be to support households to prevent homelessness in cases where tenants have been served with a notice of termination by their landlord. A local authority will assess the options available in each case and decide the appropriate action.

My Department does not hold data on the number of social housing acquisitions expression of interest applications that have been submitted to each local authority. This information may be available from individual local authorities.

In discussions with individual local authorities in the closing weeks of 2024 every effort was made to ensure that each authority was facilitated in completing and recouping the costs of their 2024 acquisitions in line with the Government decision and their individual allocations which were notified to them in March, 2024. A decision on a tenant in situ programme for 2025 is expected to be made by Government shortly and will be notified to local authorities thereafter.

The Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ (CRTiS) scheme was introduced on 1 April 2023 for tenants in private rental homes who are not in receipt of social housing supports but are at risk of homelessness because a landlord has served a valid Notice of Termination due to an intention to sell the property.

The Local Authority conducts the initial assessment for eligibility of the tenant for this scheme and refers potential cases to the Housing Agency, which is responsible for administering and managing the scheme on behalf of my Department, pending further policy development over the longer term. I am informed that the Housing Agency has engaged with more than 220 landlords across all Local Authority areas, with a view to the purchase of those homes.

My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority. Comprehensive data on social and affordable housing is published on my Department's website up to Quarter 3 2024, including completed acquisitions:

Data for all of these schemes up to Q4 2024 is being collected and collated.