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

The Government's housing policy statement, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, and the National Development Plan 2007-2013 reflect the strong commitment to expand social housing provision contained in the social partnership agreement Towards 2016. Under the social partnership agreement, local authorities are to deliver 21,000 social housing starts over the period 2007-09.

Good progress was made towards achieving this target with approximately 6,850 homes commenced, purchased or acquired under long-term lease in 2007. This is a 12% increase on the figure of 6,161 housing starts achieved in 2006. Full details on the output figures for social and affordable housing for 2007 will be published shortly in my Department's annual housing statistics bulletin. Data for the first quarter of 2008 are not yet available.

The Exchequer provision for social housing for 2008 and 2009 is expected to allow for a further 14,000 starts in this period. Housing allocations will be announced in the near future for all housing authorities and a better picture of the number of starts likely in 2008 will be available when authorities receive their allocations and are able to finalise their work programme for the year.

Taking all Exchequer and non-Exchequer resources into account, the total provision this year for social housing will be almost €2.5 billion. This represents an increase of 16% on the 2007 figure. These resources will ensure that further substantial progress will be made towards achievement of the target of meeting the needs of some 60,000 households over the period of the National Development Plan 2007-2013 through the range of social housing measures in place, including direct local authority provision, the use of Part V agreements, voluntary and co-operative housing and units provided under the rental accommodation scheme.

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