Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 26 January 2023

Public Accounts Committee

Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4: Re-allocation of Voted Funds
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 7: The Housing Agency’s Revolving Acquisition Fund

9:30 am

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

What does the Department do and what does it choose when it comes to looking at value for money in respect of the various housing schemes? How does it select those if it is seeking that value for money? I remember saying in 2014, when HAP was introduced, that it would become unsustainable if there was not a large-scale housing building programme. We are hearing about PPPs that have been evaluated.

We can see the position with turnkey projects. A 2020 review found that it was 30% more cost efficient to build directly rather than use turnkey projects, so there is a value for money issue at play. There are examples of AHBs whereby leases are being subsidised by way of RAS. We know that apart from the human cost, homelessness is very expensive. There are wider societal and economic issues relating to the under-delivery of housing.

All of these schemes that involve a short-term element are not permanent solutions. What has the Department done with regard to value for money for each of those schemes? Has it tested them individually? What has it found? What is its methodology?

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