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

The Deputy knows well that, every year, every Department carries over 10% of its budget because schemes are not completed before the end of the December deadline. In addition, there will obviously be money allocated towards the end of the year again in terms of housing initiatives. The housing in situscheme is one the Minister himself initiated. It is up to 600 houses now that have been or are in the process of being purchased by local authorities, with tenants in situ. That scheme is happening as we speak. As I stated in the context of the social housing target, in terms of builds, acquisition and leasing we will be well above previous years in terms of social housing output. It is not an issue of funding; it is actually an issue of delivery through the various planning processes and so on and getting projects delivered in a much faster way, which will mean, in some respects, particularly on public land, rapidly accelerating housing, especially social housing, in terms of the planning process.

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