Housing department rejects claim tenant-in-situ scheme has been 'demoted'

Green TD and councillor in war of words with Department of Housing which says local authority purchasing tool 'is not a scheme'

Housing minister James Browne said in February he was cutting funding to the tenant-in-situ scheme as he wanted to redirect the money into building new social homes. Stock picture: Steve Parsons/PA

The Department of Housing has rejected claims that a scheme to purchase homes for tenants at risk of eviction has been "demoted".

Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman had asked the department if it was aware that local authorities were advising prospective applicants that two-bedroom properties would not be purchased for the local authority tenant-in-situ scheme.

In its response, the department said that the use of the purchasing tool "is not a scheme".

"Rather, it is a policy tool available to local authorities to prevent social housing supported households in the private rented sector from falling into homelessness. 

"It should only be used as a last resort by local authorities when all other options have been exhausted."

The Green Party's housing spokesperson, Cork City North East councillor Oliver Moran, said that this response was in effect an admission that the scheme — set up in 2023 to allow local authorities to buy homes when tenants face homelessness because their landlord is selling — was being downgraded.

'What matters is that it works'

"Honestly, nobody cares whose nose is put out of joint by the words 'scheme' or 'policy tool'. What matters is that it works. Government or civil service egos should get out of the way if they aren't putting people first," Mr Moran said.

In response, the Department of Housing insisted the purchasing mechanism "is not a standalone programme or scheme" and that it "has always been an eligible category of acquisition" which has not changed since its introduction in 2023.

"Tenant-in-situ acquisitions remain an option for local authorities to support households in the most precarious housing situations," a department spokesperson said. 

"Such acquisitions are, and will continue to be, available to local authorities for use as a last resort when all other options have been exhausted."

The department said that €373m has been made available for drawdown by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies under the 2026 Social Housing Second Hand Acquisitions programme, which is sufficient to support at least 1,000 acquisitions this year across categories.

In February, housing minister James Browne said that he was cutting funding to the scheme as he wanted to redirect the money into building new social homes.

Mr Browne said he wants to “maximise” delivery of new builds, as opposition TDs criticised the decision to introduce tighter spending controls on councils.

• Paul Hosford, Deputy Political Editor

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