Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The local infrastructure housing activation fund was designed to support housing supply by relieving critical infrastructure blockages. A total of 30 projects were approved with an overall budget of €195.7 million while €146.8 million was Exchequer funded and the remainder was funded by local authorities. Full details of the approvals are available on the Rebuilding Ireland website. The relevant website link is www.rebuildingireland.ie/LIHAF.

Of the 30 projects, two projects will not proceed. Kildare County Council has confirmed that the Naas inner relief road will not progress and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has confirmed that the Clay Farm project will now not proceed.

Currently, five LIHAF projects have completed infrastructure construction. Up to the end of October, a total of 12 projects were at infrastructure construction stage or had been approved to move to same. Of the remaining 11 projects, one is expected to have a tender approved in the fourth quarter of 2020 and to go to construction in the first quarter of 2021. A total of ten projects are not yet ready to go to infrastructure tender stage, a precursor to receive approval to proceed to construction.

My Department keeps all projects under review with the local authority. All funding under LIHAF is now fully committed and there are no proposals to make further allocations. The serviced sites fund of €310 million is now available to local authorities for facilitating infrastructure on their lands to support their delivery of affordable housing.

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