Planning Rebate Scheme

QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government the planning rebate scheme uptake; the cost per annum by local authority since its establishment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government the estimated first and full year cost of reducing the planning rebate scheme minimum unit threshold from 50 to 5 units; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY



The Development Contribution Rebate Scheme was introduced in 2015 to enhance the viability of the construction and sale of residential units at affordable prices in locations of greatest need. The rebate is applicable in respect of units that were completed and sold after 1st January 2016 and before 31st December 2017 that meet the other conditions of the scheme, including that eligibility is confined to residential developments of at least 50 housing units. The scheme only applies to the metropolitan areas of Cork City and County Councils and all of the Dublin local authority areas.

 

The first recoupments were made under the scheme this year and to date some €2.8m has been paid to local authorities in respect of 326 housing units; further claims are on hand for processing which will take total recoupments under the scheme to over €5m in respect of 564 units, broken down as follows:

Given that the timeframe for the scheme, within which it was open to developers to deliver and sell qualified units, has passed, I am not considering any proposals to adapt or extend the scheme. It is not possible to estimate the cost of extending the scheme in the manner suggested as this would depend on the number of units that would meet the scheme criteria.