Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

I am taking the Adjournment on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to provide the House with an update on the situation.

While considerable progress has been made in recent years in increasing overall housing supply, the demand for housing remains high, particularly in major urban areas. Against this background, the parties to the pay agreement, Sustaining Progress, proposed a new initiative aimed at further enhancing the supply of affordable housing, with the objective of significantly increasing the supply of such houses.

The Government is therefore strongly committed to the ambition of delivering the affordable housing initiative and other arrangements under the Planning and Development Acts. It is envisaged that housing provided under the initiative will be aimed at those who in the past would have expected to purchase a house from their own resources but who find that they are unable to do so in the current housing market.

With regard to the specific issues raised by the Deputy, the Health Service Executive western area has been advised of the Government decision to release State lands in the health sector for affordable housing under Sustaining Progress. The executive has identified a number of sites for consideration for inclusion in this initiative. It is engaged in a process of reviewing the implications of the initiative on these sites for planned health services development. This review will be completed shortly.

I understand that the executive will communicate its views shortly to the parties concerned, including the Department of Health and Children and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. It is not intended that the affordable housing initiative would have a negative impact on planned developments in the health sector. The Health Service Executive will strive at all times to strike a balance with regard to individual proposals to satisfy in the most realistic way possible both its own objectives and those of the initiative.

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