580. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of funding provided for Meath County Council for the tenant-in-situ purchase scheme for 2026; the estimated number of homes which will be purchased in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45423/26]

Tenancy sustainment, or tenant-in-situ, is not a stand alone programme or scheme. Rather it is an eligible category of acquisition introduced as part of my Department's Social Housing Second Hand Acquisitions Programme in 2023.

Tenant in situ acquisitions are an option for local authorities to support households in the most precarious housing situations. 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. However, they will never be the sole, or even the primary, option. The default first options should almost always be securing the sustainment of the tenancy with the landlord, securing alternative accommodation through the Tenancy Sustainment and Placefinder services, or allocating a local authority or Approved Housing Body tenancy via a new build home or re-let.

The parameters of the 2026 Social Housing Second Hand Acquisitions Programme, including individual local authority priority category allocations were notified to local authorities in February. Some €373 million will be available for drawdown by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies under the programme priorities as follows:

• Exits from Homelessness Acquisitions - €150 million

• AHB Priority Delivery Acquisitions, supporting older persons, persons with disabilities, care leavers - €50 million

• LA Priority Acquisitions including tenancy sustainment or tenant-in-situ acquisitions - €157 million.

There is no separate tenant in situ allocation and such acquisitions should be met from within the overall LA Priority Delivery allocation. Ultimately, it is a matter for each local authority to determine how best to deploy this allocation across emerging priorities throughout the year.

A contingency fund of €16 million will also be retained. It is available for local authorities that have drawn down most of their initial allocation but still have capacity to complete further acquisitions and drawdown funding from my Department this year.

While the total funding available is sufficient to support at least 1,000 acquisitions this year, the level of acquisitions nationally and at local authority level will only become clear towards the end of the year. Critically, there is adequate funding available to support any and all acquisitions that can be progressed, completed and drawn down from the Department this year.

Moreover, the multi-annual approach introduced last year will continue in 2026. Local authorities may commit up to the value of 30% of their base 2026 allocations (total c.€85 million) for acquisitions that will complete or drawdown funding in 2027. This will allow priority acquisitions to progress in the closing months of 2026, with certainty on funding in 2027, if such purchases do not complete this year.

The 2026 allocation by priority category for Meath County Council is set out below: