Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have been through these matters before endless times. There is no hiding figures and no codding anybody whatsoever. We are very straight with the figures. I gave the Deputy the figures for the years prior to the start of the Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. I can give him the figures for the time since then. At this stage, the pipeline of projects is over 244 for Tipperary. I am very clear. I am asking the Deputy, his councillors and the local authorities to bring forward more proposals and we will fund them. I cannot be any clearer with the Deputy on that. I told him months ago that the funding is there for more projects for Tipperary.

In the plans put forward for 2015 to 2017, Tipperary was given a target to achieve 832 homes. It was given a budget of €57.1 million to achieve that. That is the money Tipperary was given to spend on housing and so far it has reached about 715 homes under that target and we expect it to reach the 832 units before the end of the year because that is the target set out. We will do all we can to work with the local authorities in the months ahead to achieve that. The funding set aside is for a combination of bringing back in voids, acquiring vacant properties, acquisitions and so on, as well as building new houses, and that is what has been achieved so far. The local authority is short of its target but we expect it to reach it in the months ahead.

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