Cork County Council records 62% decrease of tenant-in-situ purchases

Cork County Council saw a 62% decrease in the number of properties it acquired last year under the tenant in situ scheme, with the budget reduced again for 2026.

The scheme was first introduced in March 2024 to assist tenants who had been issued a validated notice of termination, an eviction moratorium had been in place up to this date.

Cork County Council was told they could acquire 90 properties that year, including tenant in situ acquisitions. They acquired 23 standard units, five buy and renew units, and 64 tenant in situ properties.

In March 2025, revised guidelines were issued by the government, providing €15m funding to the council for acquisitions that year.

They spent €11m and acquired nine standard units, one buy and renew unit, and 24 tenant in situ properties.

They explained that the reduction was partly due to a change in the eligibility criteria, such as that the local authority must first engage with the landlord to see if the tenancy can be maintained and if not, the tenant must be assisted in looking to secure alternative private rented accommodation.

The local authority must then examine if a tenancy in a local authority or approved housing body property is an option, and if not, must certify that the acquisition is only undertaken as a last resort to prevent homelessness.

The 2026 funding for Cork County Council is €9.5m, and the same criteria apply.

The information was provided to Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould, who said: “I cannot understand how Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael can justify cutting a homeless prevention scheme that was working. They haven’t increased supply, they haven’t prevented evictions, but instead they’ve cut funding to a scheme that was a barrier to children growing up in hotels.”