Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Regarding social housing, budget 2016 will ensure that 17,600 households will have their housing needs addressed next year, in 2016. That is in addition to those who received accommodation and assistance during 2015.

For 2016, the housing allocation has increased by 18%, or €125 million, from €686 million to €811 million. That accounts for more than half of the budget of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. It is a very significant amount of money, translated in reality to houses on the ground for people who need them. An additional €56 million has been allocated for capital programmes and there is also a significant increase in current spending. A further €112 million is coming from local authorities. I hope they get on with this business.

Clearly, the Government's allocation is designed to meet the target of 22,882 social housing units by 2017. The Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, and his departmental officials have had significant engagement with the local authorities about this. So far in 2015, nearly €500 million in capital funding has been allocated to local authority and approved housing body projects. These projects will contribute to delivery in 2016 and when taken together 17,100 units will be provided next year.

It is not as if Government was sitting back and wondering what should happen here. There has been a raft of measures, including legislation, incentives, changes in the structure of the welfare system and now direct finance to the local authorities from public funding to build public housing for social housing through the registered housing authorities together with NAMA and the private sector in general, to meet the demand.

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