Ms Margaret Geraghty:

Overall, it is that point that came up earlier about building out an affordable pipeline where there might be targets for the next couple of years. We are talking about an affordable pipeline under development into the future, not just for the next five years, so we have to invest that time now in developing out projects across the country, be it mono-tenure or mixed tenure. That is the work that I am concentrating on in the housing delivery co-ordination office with Mr. Taaffe, in terms of trying to scope out that affordable pipeline.

If we look at where we are at the moment, we have 340 affordable homes on-site, some of which will be delivered in 2022, and it is key that we get that early delivery. Behind that, we are trying to bring forward another 400 homes across the country that have approval in principle for affordable housing funding, be it in Waterford or in whichever local authority area they are. It is to translate those into agreements with developers for the turnkey aspect so we can give that clarity and get schemes identified and purchasers identified, and get people lined up to buy. That is where our thoughts are in regard to advance purchase turnkey.

We are working with local authorities in terms of their bigger sites like Churchfields in Mulhuddart with Fingal County Council or at Ballymastone in Fingal, or some of the bigger sites with Dublin City Council, which will be mixed tenure. We have to get our viability models right so we know that what we build can be sold, which is an important piece, or what percentage will be rented.

The Deputy’s point is well made in regard to the bigger urban areas in particular, where we are looking at a package of sites and there may be a number of locations over an area that can support affordable delivery and, indeed, affordable delivery would be the right thing to do. It is looking at those sites as a package with the local authority and the elected members for that area so we have that clarity on what is coming down the tracks and what the different tenure types are, and that we are actually meeting the targets across the different tenure types. That is an approach that we are trying to work on and expand.