Dáil debates

Tuesday, 24 November 2020

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions

Local Authority Housing

8:25 pm

Photo of Malcolm NoonanMalcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The regular management, maintenance and improvement of local authority housing stock is a matter for each relevant local authority. The Department supports local authorities to improve their social housing stock through a range of funding programmes including energy retrofitting, regeneration and refurbishment works to vacant properties in order to return these to productive use as quickly as possible.

Dubllin City Council has a large stock of social housing and I understand that it has completed a strategic development audit of its 220 apartment complexes in order to develop a programme of works that will feed into its capital housing apartment complex regeneration programme for 2020 to 2040. Regarding Pearse House, I understand that the council is examining the options for improvement works, which includes a protected structure, and is engaged with local elected members to this end. Following this process, it is a matter for the council to bring forward proposals for works and to apply for funding under the relevant social housing programme depending on the nature and scope of works required.

I am absolutely committed to delivering on the programme for Government objectives and, in particular, to increasing the social housing stock by more than 50,000, as outlined by my colleague, with an emphasis on new builds and to progress a State-backed affordable home purchase scheme to promote home ownership. The Government has backed up these objectives in budget 2021, with €3.3 billion in total funding being made available for the delivery of housing programmes. The overall investment will see the social housing needs of over 28,500 households being met in 2021. This includes 12,750 new social homes to be delivered through build, acquisition and leasing programmes. While we work to deliver these new homes, particularly social and affordable, working with local authorities and other delivery partners, it is also important that councils maintain and upgrade their existing stock. The budget includes funding for both these approaches and we will work with the city council and other local authorities to that end.

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