Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are children who have challenges and particular difficulties from different parts of the country. Every local authority has at its disposal finance and services to provide in the best way possible for those children, and there are some with very particular difficulties, as the Deputy is well aware. The Government has made the decision to provide €5.3 billion to deliver social housing between now and 2021. The Deputy says there is a disconnect between that figure and the reality of what is happening on the ground. The Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government and the Minister of State with responsibility for housing have told every single local authority: "There is your money. Show me your sites. Build your houses. Here are the incentives." Years ago, local authorities were very active in building houses. They range now between approved housing bodies and local authorities. The money is on the table. The housing assistance payment this year will accommodate 15,000 households and will help to keep people in their homes.

Last year, nearly 18,500 housing supports were provided from a housing budget provision of €935 million. It was spent in full for that very purpose – to keep people in their homes. This included nearly 5,300 homes that were built or purchased and 12,000 housing assistance payment tenancies.

Part 3 of the Minister's programme is the plan to build 25,000 units per annum, on average, by 2021.

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