Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

The most recent assessment of social housing needs was undertaken by local authorities in March 2005. The results of the assessment indicated that 1,492 households were in need of housing in the three County Louth local authority areas. More comprehensive data from the 2005 assessment was published in the 2005 annual bulletin of housing statistics, a copy of which can be made available or found on my Department's website.

The Government is providing local authorities with the necessary resources to address housing needs in their areas. The programme of investment and policy priorities reflected in Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities underpin the approach to increasing housing investment as set out in the National Development Plan 2007-13. The NDP envelope provides for an investment programme of approximately €21 billion, including €3 billion for rent allowance. As agreed in Towards 2016, 27,000 new social homes will be commenced or acquired and 17,000 new affordable units delivered in the initial 2007-09 period. The resources being made available under the NDP will allow for similar levels of activity post-2009. In total, it is estimated that the needs of approximately 140,000 households will be met over the full period of the national development plan.

Last year my Department provided the three local authorities in Louth with record funding of over €37 million for their housing construction and acquisition programmes. The provision represented an increase of €8 million on the funding provided in 2005. The provision enabled the three authorities to start construction of and acquire over 400 housing units and to complete and acquire almost 240 dwellings in 2006. My Department has met with all local authorities this year in the context of their proposed housing programmes for the next three years under their individual action plans.

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