Government scheme fails to deliver on 1,500 homes target

Four Dublin authorities combined bought just 22 homes under scheme allowing councils to buy houses sold by landlords  

Minister Darragh O’Brien is 'confident' home-purchase targets will be reached. Picture: Gareth Chaney

A Government housing scheme aimed at buying 1,500 homes for local authority tenants has come under fire as just a fraction of that total has been delivered.

The four Dublin authorities combined bought just 22 homes under the tenant-in-situ scheme, which allows councils to buy the homes being sold by landlords of those on housing lists.

The scheme was this week extended as the Government ended the eviction ban.

Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien said that an expanded version of the scheme would save 1,500 tenants in receipt of housing assistance payment (Hap) and rental accommodation scheme (Ras) supports from eviction and the cost would be underpinned by the Government.

Sinn Féin's Eoin Ó Broin said the scheme is unclear and councils are reluctant to act on it. He urged Mr O'Brien to reissue a circular on the scheme, telling councils to act on it. 

"If he doesn't do this, the target is meaningless," the Sinn Féin TD said. 

"Darragh O'Brien hasn't hit a social or affordable target he's set himself, so 1,500 is meaningless. He keeps thinking if he says in front of a camera that he's instructed local authorities to buy, that they will, but the circular has to be clearer."

Sinn Féin's Eoin Ó Broin urged Mr O'Brien to reissue a circular on the scheme, telling councils to act on it.  Picture: Stephen Collins/Collins

A spokesperson for Mr O'Brien said the minister is "confident" the targets will be reached. 

“The minister is confident it will be reached. He has assigned targets for tenants in situ to each local authority area and is asking local authorities to report progress on these targets. Where a local authority can and wishes to exceed their individual target they will be supported to do so," said the spokesperson.

A collection of figures from local authorities by the Irish Examiner shows that in the four Dublin authorities, 22 homes have been purchased so far. 

Fingal County Council said that a total of 12 tenant-in-situ properties are currently at the sale-agreed stage, with a further 10 tenant-in-situ properties under negotiation with the owners.

A spokesperson for South Dublin County Council, which has had 108 offers of homes, said that three purchases of properties had been completed in recent months and 10 further purchases are nearing completion, with 37 close to completion.

Dublin City Council said it had closed on seven homes in the first two months of this year and had 69 more in contract stage. The council also has 65 homes at "tenant-check" stage, with 12 being inspected and 27 awaiting a valuation or an offer to be made.

A spokesperson for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown council said it "has not purchased any properties to date".