Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To be fair to all Deputies present, I acknowledge that we are all trying to find solutions and quicker ways of delivering social housing. I assure the Deputy that the Minister, Deputy Kelly, and I are pursuing every avenue available to us to increase the number of available houses. Deputy Wallace was not here earlier when, in response to other Deputies, I made the point that initially NAMA identified more than 6,000 properties for social housing which it offered to local authorities and approved housing bodies. For various reasons, 2,500 of those were taken up and are in the process of being delivered for social housing. A large chunk of them, for one reason or another, were declined. I do not know if they were the wrong size or in the wrong place. It was the housing authorities that declined them, not the Government. It is important to note that.

On top of that, any projects that have been prioritised by local authorities, are ready to go and are shovel ready have been approved for funding. Some have completed the planning process while others are going through it. Unfortunately, some of them are meeting barriers at local level because of opposition to some of the Part VIII applications. We need to see those getting over the line in order that tendering can take place and the builders can be on site. It is noticeable that sites throughout the country are beginning to open. One of the most noticeable ones I have seen is the Dolphin Barn's regeneration project on the canal in Dublin. At long last, we are seeing the diggers there knocking down the old flat complexes to allow for the regeneration of that area. That is only one example. There are more than 200 such projects under way.

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