Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Question Nos. 1 to 10, inclusive, together.

The housing and infrastructure unit supports me and the Government in developing and implementing policy to support sustainable economic development, with a particular focus on the development and delivery of policies relating to housing and infrastructure. It supports the work of the Cabinet committee on housing, which oversees the delivery of housing for all. The unit undertakes ongoing monitoring and tracking of the actions in the plan and prepares quarterly progress reports. The most recent of these, for quarter 4 2021, was published in late January and shows significant progress, including affordability measures such as the new local authority home loan, the extension of help to buy, the delivery of cost-rental homes and a cap on rent increases. Other progress includes the launch of project tosaigh and our commitment to delivery, with more than 200 new staff approved for local authority delivery teams.

There are signs that the sector is rebounding from what has been a very challenging number of years due to the Covid pandemic. More than 20,000 new dwellings were completed in 2021, with more than 30,000 commencements in the same period. Planning permission figures are also strong. The housing crisis will take time to resolve but we are confident that with sustained momentum on implementation of the plan, its benefits will become tangible.

The unit supports the delivery of wider public investment through Project Ireland 2040, which falls under the Cabinet committee on economic recovery and investment. The unit is also responsible for developing the national risk assessment, which provides a high-level overview of strategic risks facing the country. The latest national risk assessment was published in December 2021, with inputs from a public consultation process through which more than 50 organisations, public representatives and individuals made submissions.

The experience of recent years has demonstrated the importance of strategic risk management and preparedness. By promoting an open and inclusive discussion on the major risks facing the country, the national risk assessment plays an important role in this work. The unit, part of the broader economic division in my Department, maintains an overview of progress in key policy areas in line with Government priorities, and provides me with briefing and speech material on infrastructure, housing and related policy issues.

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