A majority of affordable homes have been purchased using loan finance obtained from private lenders. My Department does not compile information in relation to the numbers of these purchasers now in arrears or subject to repossession proceedings.

Having regard to the continued priority which the Government attaches to these schemes and the high level of demand across all local authorities, I approved a record Exchequer allocation of €80 million to the local authorities on 5 March, 2010. It is a matter for each local authority to decide on the specific level of funding to be directed towards each of the individual schemes, from within the combined allocation notified to them by my Department, and to manage the operation of the schemes in their areas from within their allocation.

The overall level of Exchequer funding sought by Local Authorities for spending in 2010 was €92.650 million. On the basis of the January returns from the local authorities, some 13,000 applications had been submitted for approval under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, of which some 4,430 relate to adaptation works to meet the needs of persons with a disability.

I am determined to ensure that the programme is framed in a manner which continues to optimise the delivery of social housing. To achieve this it is essential to tailor available Exchequer supports to prevailing market conditions and explore alternative solutions to address housing needs, having full regard to the sustainable communities philosophy outlined in the Government’s housing policy statement Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities.

To these ends, the range of delivery mechanisms continues to be adapted and expanded. Last year, I announced the introduction of a new Social Housing Leasing Initiative, through which I expect a substantial number of dwellings to be provided in the years ahead, to meet housing needs estimated at just over 56,000 households in the 2008 Housing Needs Assessment. This, together with the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), complements the traditional capital funded programmes operated through local authorities and the voluntary and co-operative housing sector.

An amendment to Part V through the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009, to allow local authorities take units under RAS or lease arrangements, will provide a further option for maximising supply through these more flexible sources. I will be keeping the leasing initiative and all the other housing programmes under ongoing review to ensure that they are appropriately geared towards meeting the maximum level of housing need.

While the allocations for 2010 show a reduction in the provision for the main traditional local authority programme, of some 50%, I anticipate that, through more flexible market based delivery mechanisms such as the Rental Accommodation Scheme and long term leasing, as well as the significant increase in funding available under the Capital Assistance Scheme in 2010 to €145m, and the availability from the second half of 2010 of a direct lending facility from the Housing Finance Agency to approved housing bodies, delivery across the range of social housing measures this year will maintain the momentum built up over recent years.

I am determined to ensure that the schemes in place are framed in a manner which continues to optimise delivery of supports to the households who must need them. To achieve this, it is essential to tailor available Exchequer supports to prevailing market conditions, and explore alternative solutions to address housing needs, having full regard to the sustainable communities philosophy outlined in the Government’s housing policy statement Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities.

To these ends, the range of delivery mechanisms continues to be adapted and expanded. For example, last year I announced the introduction of a new Social Housing Leasing Initiative, through which I expect a substantial number of dwellings to be provided to meet housing needs. This, together with the Rental Accommodation Scheme, complements the traditional capital funded programmes operated through local authorities and the voluntary and co-operative housing sector.

I refer to the reply to Question No. 407 of 1 June, 2010. The number of boarded up houses held by local authorities continuously fluctuates as houses become vacant and are remediated, re-let or demolished. Information, other than that made available through annual Local Authority Service Indicator Reports, is not collected on the number of such houses.

Specifically, a number of key policy objectives will be pursued: · The expansion of delivery through leasing and Rental Accommodation Scheme programmes; · Continuing progress towards the achievement of the Government’s objectives in relation to homelessness as set out under the strategy on homelessness, The Way Home; · The introduction of the supporting secondary legislation required to give effect to major policy reforms set out in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009; · The publication of new strategies in relation to Housing for People with a Disability and in relation to Sheltered Housing for Older People, and a progress report on Delivering Homes: Sustaining Communities; · The active implementation of phase 1 of the Limerick regeneration programme, and pursuit of other regeneration initiatives; · The introduction of a new lending facility to enable the Housing Finance Agency lend directly to approved housing bodies; · Delivery of a number of key measures to improve the energy performance of the housing stock, including proposals for a 60% improvement in energy efficiency requirements for new dwellings, development of a draft Framework Strategy towards achieving a Carbon Neutral Standard for Dwellings in 2013 and a 10 year strategy for retrofitting the social housing stock; · Development of a new house price database, in line with the commitment set out in the renewed Programme for Government; and, · Preparation of a General Scheme of a Bill to reform Residential Tenancies Acts, particularly in relation to the operation of the Private Residential Tenancies Board.

Following a request by my Department, in autumn 2008, Kilkenny County Council indicated that its priorities under the fire services capital programme were the construction of new fire stations at Castlecomer, Graiguenamanagh and Urlingford respectively.

In June 2010 a new two-bay fire station, funded by my Department, was opened in Castlecomer.

The proposal by the Council to build a new two bay fire station in Graiguenamanagh was approved in principle under the 2008 Fire Service Capital Programme. In November 2009, my Department approved the Council’s proposal to appoint consultants to prepare detailed design and tender documents, and these are now awaited.

Proposals to replace the existing single bay station in Urlingford will be considered under future capital programmes within the constraints of available resources having regard to the fire authority’s priorities, the spread of existing facilities and demand from other fire authorities for available funding.

As a result, no funding had been allocated to the provision of a new library in Kilkenny prior to the announcement on 5 July, 2010 of €350,000 in 2011 for a central library in Kilkenny City. This will form part of the 2010-2011 Libraries Capital Programme.

Statutory responsibility for the provision of traveller accommodation rests with the relevant housing authority; accordingly it is a matter for Dublin City Council, in this instance, to consider the appropriate options. My Department’s role in relation to traveller accommodation is to ensure that there is an adequate legislative and financial system in place to assist local authorities in providing such accommodation and in that context, the Department will consider any proposal which the Council may bring forward.

Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 provides for an incremental purchase scheme in respect of newly-built houses reserved by housing authorities and approved housing bodies for the purpose. I recently made the necessary regulations bringing the scheme into operation from 14 June 2010.

The Regulations allow incremental purchase arrangements to be applied to new housing units, including unsold affordable houses in approved circumstances, with the following exceptions:

· dwellings that had not been designated for incremental purchase at the time the dwelling was allocated to a household in need of social housing support;

· dwellings specifically designed for occupation by older persons;

· dwellings specifically designed for members of the travelling community in a group setting;

· dwellings transferred to local authorities under section 96 of the Planning & Development Act 2000 for the purposes of providing social housing, and

· caravans, mobile homes or structures capable of being moved.

It is a matter for each individual housing authority to determine which of its housing units, in accordance with the Regulations, it will make available for sale under the scheme.

Houses sold by housing authorities and approved bodies under the scheme will have been provided by the authority or body through their main construction/acquisition programme which is fully funded by the State through annual capital allocations. There will therefore be no monies outstanding to the housing authority or approved body on sale other than the monies due to be paid by the purchaser.

Notwithstanding this, there are explicit powers in the 2009 Act to allow housing authorities to take other actions where a household genuinely experiences financial hardship. Housing authorities, under these provisions, can develop reasonable repayment agreements including, if appropriate, an adjustment to rent due to assist households in such circumstances.