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

The development of publicly-owned lands for housing is a key Government priority. In 2019, the Government will provide over €2.4 billion for housing. All local authorities are encouraged to bring forward viable and appropriate development proposals that can be funded through the range of schemes and programmes which have been put in place.

The Department, the Minister and I are in regular contact with the local authority in County Louth regarding the accelerated delivery of social, affordable and private housing. On social housing delivery under the Government's Rebuilding Ireland action plan, 194 homes have been completed and 740 further homes are currently at various stages of progress in the social housing construction programme across Louth, which is being added to on an ongoing basis. Furthermore, a site at Mount Avenue, Dundalk, is approved under the local infrastructure housing activation fund for funding of over €3.3 million for an access road which will support 200 homes initially and potentially up to 1,200 on associated wider lands.

In budget 2019, under the serviced sites fund, SSF, the Government is providing €310 million to enable the provision of infrastructure on council lands in order to facilitate affordable housing. The first call issued to local authorities, including Louth County Council, in June. While Louth did not make an application, further calls will be made and the council will have further opportunities to submit applications. My Department also hosted an affordable housing workshop for local authorities last week at which site development and affordable housing were discussed. Further bilateral engagement between local authorities and my Department will now follow, with a view to progressing further social and affordable housing projects on council lands.

I wish to be very clear, as far as we are concerned as Ministers, we want more progress. I have met officials from Louth County Council. I have also met its housing team and the county manager. I have asked them to put in place a pipeline of projects to increase the number of houses it will provide in the coming years. We are committed to that as well. The council has a landbank, which means it has enough land. It has more than 68 ha and it could bring forward proposals for up to 1,700 houses. The Minister made the point earlier that we want to make sure local authorities bring forward proposals not just for social housing but also for affordable housing and also to work with the private sector as well.

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