Mr. Colm Ward:

I thank the Chair and members. The following challenges are critical to the considerations of South Dublin County Council regarding the appropriate use of public land for housing delivery: ensuring sufficient supply of homes across south Dublin; determining the appropriate mix of private, social and affordable homes to be delivered on available sites and across the county; and utilising the full range of options envisaged by national policy for delivery of homes while taking location, infrastructural requirements and social context into consideration. I have provided the committee with an overview of the status of the housing supply programme in south Dublin for current projects, future plans and proposals under consideration, together with the status and indicative number of homes for each area, a total of over 800 homes. This shows our commitment to the delivery of social homes on available land within the county.

In regard to the larger sites available to the council for delivery of homes, the recently approved Kilcarbery project has been through a two-year process of master-planning, legal and financial modelling, competitive dialogue and procurement. The elected members of the council approved the disposal of the 72-acre site at Kilcarbery for the development of 975 housing units, 294 of which will be for social housing. The development is in tandem with and adjacent to 109 houses approved as part of the initial public private partnership bundle, giving an overall mix of 40% social and 60% private on this fully planned, integrated community which will also benefit from a crèche, community centre, school and retail centre.

The project commenced in the absence of an affordable housing scheme but with the council fully cognisant of its role as a housing and planning authority and the need for the provision of homes in line with Pillar 3 of Rebuilding Ireland. The enabling infrastructure works are being funded through the local infrastructure housing activation fund, LIHAF. Some 50 homes will be sold at a discount to market prices to offset the drawdown value of the LIHAF funding. The project also includes a social employment clause which stipulates that 10% of person hours are for those on the local register of long-term unemployed.

The next stage involves the preparation of an environmental impact statement and application to An Bord Pleanála as a strategic housing development by the successful tenderer to secure phased delivery of homes on site commencing in 2020 and to be completed by 2023. In addition to providing for the delivery of much-needed homes, the economic yield to the council from the sale will enable the strategic acquisition of additional land for future housing development.

We have shared the detail of the Kilcarbery model with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and other local authorities and our team members will continue to make themselves available for consultation and to offer guidance on the process to others developing similar plans.

With the benefit of this experience, it is intended to develop housing on four other large strategic sites owned by the council, namely, Killinarden, Rathcoole, Clonburris strategic development zone and St. Maelruans. These are currently being allocated to consultants for high-level master-planning in conjunction with our internal team to assess their potential unit capacity, infrastructural requirements and social environment context. The budget announcement relating to affordable housing is very welcome and allows this tenure to be factored into plans for these sites. We have advised the Department of our intention to apply for funding from the serviced sites fund in 2019 in respect of each site.

The sites have a range of contrasting characteristics, including greenfield, brownfield, urban, rural, town centre and strategic development zone. Some are adjacent to large areas of social housing and others are on the outskirts of a rural village. These characteristics will inform the master-planning context and the potential distribution of social, affordable and private housing on each site.

This mix will be developed in conjunction with the local elected members and will be informed by best practice and national policy on housing integration and sustainable communities. It is estimated that all five sites, including Kilcarbery, will yield circa 4,300 homes. As a housing authority, it is our view that the sites will have different solutions, which will all include provision for social, affordable and private housing.

There are 7,055 applicants are on the council's housing list. We will continue to examine opportunities for in-fill housing, turnkey acquisitions, including through Part V, and partnerships with approved housing bodies to supplement the major housing supply projects on our available land. In addition, housing solutions provided through the rental accommodation scheme, RAS, housing assistance payment, HAP, and leasing options are all being actively pursued and utilised in south Dublin.

The current actions and future plans I have outlined demonstrate the strategic approach being undertaken by South Dublin County Council to ensure the effective use of available land throughout the county to deliver an optimum integrated housing mix to meet the housing need for the people of south Dublin.