Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

Two questions were asked. The Government has been innovative in terms of the provision of social and affordable housing. A whole range of new mechanisms have been introduced to address the problem. The introduction in early 2008 of the miscellaneous housing Bill will provide further initiatives including, incremental purchase by tenants of local authority houses. Measures to address the problem include the affordable housing scheme, shared ownership scheme, the Part V option and, in the future, the incremental purchase option.

Local authorities have, up to now, had indicative targets about which I am not happy. We have now given them a three-year programme within which to produce houses in their respective areas. We are underpinning those targets with funding and we will ensure those targets are met over the three year period. This is the right way forward. I was not happy that targets were not being met. The three-year programme and the underpinning funding will ensure local authorities meet the targets set by them.

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