Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy stated, the Housing for All strategy delivers on a programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability back at the heart of the housing system with an ambitious target of 300,000 homes over the next decade for social, affordable, cost-rental, private rental and private ownership housing. Measures to deliver this housing are supported by over €4 billion in funding annually, representing the highest ever level of Government investment in building social or affordable homes. Some 54,000 affordable homes will be delivered between now and 2030, to be facilitated by local authorities, approved housing bodies, the Land Development Agency and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.

Delivery of affordable housing, in accordance with the schemes set out in the Affordable Housing Act 2021, which Sinn Féin supported, and the funding being made available, will be underpinned by the preparation by local authorities of housing delivery action plans, which they are currently preparing. Local authorities will be submitting their plans, to include measures relating to social and affordable housing, to me before the end of December 2021. This will allow each local authority, including Monaghan County Council, to determine any affordability constraints in their area based on the housing need and demand assessment and to plan provision accordingly. It is the first time local authorities have had this mechanism through the housing need and demand assessment. Furthermore, a new Croí Cónaithe fund will be supporting home ownership in towns throughout the country by making serviced sites available at a reduced cost or by providing support towards the refurbishment of vacant properties where the level of vacancy or dereliction is high. A pathfinder programme, as I mentioned to colleagues earlier, will be initiated later this year to facilitate making some 2,000 sites available for homes.

See this speech in context