Local authorities to be given individual targets for social housing purchases

Local authorities are to be given individual targets for social housing purchases as the Government looks to recover after missing its goal for new-build homes last year.

Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien is to bring a memo to Cabinet on Tuesday on increasing the delivery of social housing this year – including an overall target for social housing acquisitions of 1,500 nationally.

A social housing acquisition occurs when a landlord issues a notice to quit to a tenant who is in receipt of housing assistance or rental allowance payments from the State. The local authorities then purchase the property and bring it into the stock of social housing.

While figures for local authorities’ social home purchases for 2022 are not yet completed, the Government believes between 600 and 800 were in progress. The Government’s overall figure for build, acquisition and lease of social housing is also not yet available, but it is expected to miss targets for new builds of 8,000.

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The Government will also be updated on an additional 1,000 long-term leased homes which will be delivered this year and next, which are separate to the current long-term leasing scheme. Mr O’Brien will also detail a review of the Capital Advance Leasing Facility, which provides funding for non-Government organisations involved in social housing construction.

Minister for Defence and Tánaiste Micheál Martin is set to brief Cabinet on Defence Forces participation in the UN Disengagement Observer Force, which has had a presence on the Israel-Syria border since 1974, where it maintains the ceasefire established after the Yom Kippur war. There have been expectations that Irish troops could be withdrawn from the mission to free up resources for its commitment to the EU battlegroup system.

The Government will also consider plans brought by Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan to develop a demand management strategy for road use, which could ultimately envisage policies such as congestion charges or reduced public transport fares to drive a “modal shift” away from car use. The strategy will take about a year to develop.

Mr Ryan will also bring a list of up to 400 actions to Government under the Climate Action Plan – the fine detail of how emissions reductions are to be achieved this year.

Minister for Enterprise Simon Coveney will brief Ministers on the general scheme of the Digital Services Bill.

A busy Cabinet agenda – before Ministers depart on St Patrick’s Day trips around the world next week – will also feature a proposal from Minister for Higher and Further Education Simon Harris to allot €40 million for the construction of new student accommodation at Dublin City University.

The first phase of the project will provide for 405 new beds, 30 per cent of which will be ringfenced for students from disadvantaged areas at reduced rents. Mr Harris will tell colleagues that he expects to bring similar projects to Government for approval shortly at UCD, Trinity and UCC. Similar support has was provided in November for the University of Limerick, University of Galway and Maynooth University.

Minister for Education Norma Foley is to brief Cabinet on the new primary school curriculum framework, which will see pupils spending more time learning foreign languages, science, technology and engineering. The framework recommends consolidating children’s learning at home. Ms Foley will also seek Cabinet approval for a new chair of An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, which advises the Minister on Irish language policy.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly will also seek sign-off on legislation abolishing inpatient charges of up to €800 a year in public hospitals. The policy was first announced in Budget 2023.