Thread by @DarraghOBrienTD

A significant and progressive budget announced by Govt today. One which recognises people are struggling and safeguards from cost of living shocks while strengthening our public services.

In @DeptHousingIRL 🏡 we have a record €4.5BN budget for 2023.

More than €1.3BN will be invested in affordability measures in 2023 including for the delivery of 5,550 affordable purchase & cost rental homes, the First Home Scheme, Local Authority Home Loan & Help-to-Buy ensuring we meet our objectives under #HousingforAll

11,830 new social homes will be delivered including 9,100 new build homes
€97m to provide homes for people with a disability, older people, those who have experienced homelessness.
€92m for home adaptation & improvement grants
€27m to support Traveller community

€215M, a 10% increase on 2022 funding, for homelessness services so that we can continue to provide emergency services, scale up our Housing First programme, prevent people from entering homelessness in the first instance & help them to exit into secure accommodation.

To compliment new vacant property& Zoned Land Tax and to really tackle the blight of vacancy &dereliction across the country we have further funding for our Croi Conaithe Towns Fund which Govt are set to expand even further in the coming weeks.Grants of up to €50k are available.

As announced by @Paschald & @mmcgrathtd a new €500 tax credit for each renter which can be claimed this year in 2022. Govt have protections in place for renters with caps on any potential increases within RPZs & outside of RPZs rent reviews can only take place every two years .

Separately, I brought a memo to Cabinet today on the recently published report of the Working Group to Examine Defects in Housing - I advised Govt that I am establishing an inter-departmental & agency group to bring forward specific proposals & timeline to govt.