Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 406: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if there are legislative restrictions on local councils for the number of private housing units leased for social housing uses; his policy on the mix of social, affordable and private housing in estates and developments; the guidelines which have been issued to local authorities on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24668/09]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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It is essential that all State investment in housing support, including use of the new leasing arrangements, complies fully with the "sustainable communities" philosophy at the heart of the Government's housing policy, as outlined in Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities. In this context, while there are no legislative restrictions on the number of private housing units that can be leased for social housing purposes, a circular and guidance note issued by my Department to housing authorities states that authorities must have regard to the concentration of social housing in a particular development or in the general area where leased properties are proposed. In seeking approval for proposals, authorities must provide details of the overall development and the breakdown of the types of occupancy i.e. market/private housing, affordable housing and social housing, to demonstrate compliance with the mixed income, mixed tenure objectives of the overall "sustainable communities" policy.