Kildare County Council Says It Hasn't Received Direction On Any Changes To Bulk Leasing Of Homes.

Fine Gael group had called for "pausing" of such leasing.

Kildare County Council says it has received no direction on any changes to bulk-leasing of homes.

In mid-May, legislation passed imposing a 10% stamp duty on the purchase of 10 or more houses by single entity.

While planning changes mean up to 50 per cent of new developments will be reserved for owner occupiers.

Apartments are exempted from the legislation, which is aimed at preventing the bulk purchase of homes by investment funds.

One of the key factors in prompting the legislation was the purchase of 80% of the homes in Mullen Park, Maynooth, by a fund.

A motion, by Fine Gael councillors Joe Neville, Tracey O’Dwyer, Evie Sammon and Tim Durkan, asked  that KCC suspend any talks it may be engaged in with respect to 10 ore more homes " until further information is received from Government regarding legislation related to this function."

It was debated at the May meeting of the local authority.

KCC's response, in full: "The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has identified leasing as a housing delivery stream under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme. Funding has been set aside under this delivery stream for delivery of leased units, separate to funding under the Social Housing Investment Programme which delivers housing through build and acquisition [including Part V]. Under the Government’s Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, ambitious targets were set for delivery of social housing, including 2,450 units to be funded across the country through leasing in 2021. While we await publication of the new Housing Strategy, “Housing for All”, we anticipate that ambitious targets will again be set for delivery of social and also affordable housing over the lifetime of the strategy. The achievement of these targets will require a blended approach to delivery, across a range of funding streams both capital and current.
All social housing delivered by Kildare County Council requires the approval of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and must be compliant with all policies and procedures set down for the delivery of social housing. No direction has been received from the Department with regard to any changes to the mechanisms for delivery of leased units either through the Standard Lease or Enhanced Lease."