Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 12 December 2018

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government

Rebuilding Ireland: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government.

9:30 am

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will conclude with two very quick questions.

Administrative changes were made to the repair and lease scheme in February 2018. Have those changes made a difference? Has there been an increase in the number of properties being made available via the scheme? It is very good as a concept, but I hope we are not strangling ourselves with regulation.

Has the Minister an update in regard to the EUROSTAT classification of approved housing bodies, AHBs, as being on balance sheet and the impact of that on the ability of AHBs to deliver social housing units? He mentioned that he met representatives of the European Investment Bank. Housing delivery through approved housing bodies is a major part of Government strategy and will be a part of the solution to the housing crisis but, obviously, the on-balance-sheet issue may stymie further delivery in that sector.

Has the Government given up on rapid build units? Delivery in that regard was far below the target set for last year and is similarly off target so far this year. Has the rapid-build-unit idea been shelved or is it being revised within the Department?

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