Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 225 together. On establishment, the LDA had access to an initial tranche of eight sites that have near-term delivery potential for 3,000 new homes. The sites concerned are: the Central Mental Hospital site, Dundrum; Hampton, Balbriggan; Hacketstown, Skerries; Devoy Barracks, Naas; the former Meath Hospital, Dublin city centre; St. Kevin's Hospital, Cork; Columb Barracks, Mullingar; and Dyke Road, Galway.

The ownership of seven of the sites will not be formally transferred to the LDA until the Land Development Agency Bill is enacted, while the site in Galway is owned by Galway City Council and will be developed on a partnership basis. It is intended the Bill will be published and brought before the Oireachtas later this year. The Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government, of which the Deputy is a member, will conduct pre-legislative scrutiny on the Bill soon. The LDA is also working with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council on a delivery plan for a site at Shanganagh.

Notwithstanding that the legislation has not yet been finalised, the LDA is already working on the initial sites made available to it. While passing the LDA legislation is a priority, it does not prevent the agency from progressing these sites. In addition, because the sites are public lands rather than lands in private ownership, the issue of ownership and transfer is not an obstacle to early progress. The LDA is entering into pre-sale agreements with the landowners, as appropriate, to ensure that it has full access to the sites to carry out necessary pre-construction activities. Significant preparatory work is under way, with feasibility and planning work initiated and the first planning applications due to be submitted later this year. Construction activity is envisaged to commence on some sites by the middle of next year, subject to the granting of planning permissions, with the first homes due to be completed by the end of next year.

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