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

My Department provides advice to local authorities on an ongoing basis to support them in delivering social housing projects, including undertaking cost-effectiveness analyses in respect of high-value projects. Local authorities have primary responsibility for evaluating, planning and managing their public investment projects under the public spending code. Against this background, my Department recently provided final draft guidance documents to local authorities to support them in undertaking cost-effectiveness analyses. The final draft documents provided include draft sectoral guidance for social housing appraisals, as well as worked examples of preliminary appraisal and detailed appraisals.

Final observations on the draft documents have been sought from the local authorities and adjustments may be made based on that feedback, as well as to take account of the review of the public spending code, which was considered by the Government yesterday. In the meantime, however, local authorities can continue to use the draft guidance for any of their projects that require a cost-effectiveness analysis. It is intended that the documentation will be finalised soon and the final sectoral guidance will be issued in early 2020.

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