Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Howlin raised a number of important points. The Rebuilding Ireland housing land map was launched by the Minister, Deputy Coveney, on 27 April. It is the first national map of its kind. By far the best way to track progress under Rebuilding Ireland is through such a map. It represents both the opportunity to deliver housing and also the individual data on active delivery from sites around the country. In other words, one knows what is going on. The mapping exercise is a vital, initial strategic step in the new State housing land management strategy being developed under Ireland 2040, the national planning framework. No doubt the map will evolve as we interface with key developers and stakeholders in the public and private sectors who are actively delivering housing. Some 2,000 ha of land were identified and there are approximately 800 sites between local authorities, the Housing Agency and other State and semi-State bodies. Taking a conservative estimate of 25 units per hectare, that is potentially 50,000 homes. In terms of Rebuilding Ireland it is fundamental that the State and in particular housing authorities do everything in their power to deliver quality social and affordable mixed tenure housing from those sites.

There are four key sites that can deliver 3,000 badly needed homes. South Dublin County Council intends to deliver approximately 900 social and affordable homes at Kilcarberry, Clondalkin. A Dublin City Council housing land initiative has sites at Infirmary Road, also known as O'Devaney Gardens, St. Michael's Estate on Emmet Road, and Oscar Traynor Road which will deliver approximately 2,000 social and affordable houses. The State will also fund 30% of social housing on those four sites, which is approximately 900 newly built social houses. They will be fully integrated into brand new housing schemes in various locations in Dublin. A total of 30 sites have been identified on State and semi-State lands amounting to 200 ha in prime locations such as Galway Port, and 18 acres at the CIE-Ceannt Station site right in the centre of Galway city which is being master planned. All of those details are available for Deputy Howlin to examine.

I met with the chief executive of Deputy Howlin's local authority the other day. I understand that in Enniscorthy where planning permission has been granted and everything else is ready to go the local authority has been able to provide three-bedroom social housing in approximately 13 weeks. If that is true, which I hope it is, that is an incredible operation. That suggests we might be falling foul of public procurement issues, objections and other issues causing delay in other places. When rapid build was first introduced for housing it seemed to take an inordinately long time. However, if in some local authorities, one of which I came across myself by chance, it is possible to do that if all systems are go and one can build house X and house Y in such a period the question is why we cannot do it elsewhere. The Ministers are looking at the issue with the housing unit to examine whether there are delays that could be avoided. That was the case when Deputy Howlin was in government. For one reason or another when we started to use rapid build housing it took a long time.

Deputy Howlin also inquired about Government measures and funding being made available. One would get lost in the figures sometimes.

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