Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Timmins for raising this in his role as TD for Wicklow. Under Housing for All, the Government has committed to delivering 47,600 new-build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022 to 2026. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new-build projects delivered by local authorities and approved housing bodies, AHBs. The number of new-build social homes in the pipeline continues to remain strong year on year, with new construction projects getting under way regularly. The strongest national delivery of social housing since 1975 was recorded in 2023, when 11,939 new social homes were delivered by local authorities and AHBs, including 8,110 new-build homes, 1,829 acquisitions and 1,999 homes through leasing programmes. Altogether, between 2020 and 2023, some 39,185 social homes were delivered across build, acquisition and lease. The figures for 2024 are being finalised.

On a quarterly basis, the Department publishes the social housing construction status report, which provides details of social housing developments and their location that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and tender processes. The most recent publication was for quarter 3 of 2024, while that for quarter 4 will be published shortly.

Recent years have witnessed significant demographic changes. The Government has acknowledged these evolving circumstances and is actively revising targets to reflect updated census information, market analysis and economic forecasting, to which the Deputy referred, in the context of the national planning framework.

Under Housing for All, last year, the Government approved new national housing targets up to the year 2030. The aim is to deliver 303,000 homes in the period 2025 to 2030, equating to an annual average of 50,500 homes and building to 60,000 in 2030. The revised targets were informed by research and modelling by the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, on population projections and long-run housing demand. The revised national housing targets will inform the revision to existing social and affordable housing targets at a local authority level.

Following the publication of the revised national planning framework, which was brought to Cabinet this morning and approved by the Government, work will be undertaken to translate these revised national targets into specific local authority housing requirements for planning purposes and social and affordable targets will also be progressed at this stage. Once finalised, local authorities will integrate these revised targets into their respective housing strategies and development plans, ensuring they accurately reflect local needs and facilitate adequate land zoning and infrastructure planning. This process will be supported by explicit policy guidance and methodology provided by the Department to ensure consistency, transparency and effective implementation across all local authorities. The Minister, Deputy Browne, and the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, want this done as speedily as possible. Directions will be issued to local authorities in this regard.

Revised national level targets and local authority tenure-specific targets will be agreed in the context of the new national housing plan later in the year. It is essential that local authorities' targets align with their needs and ensure balanced regional development. The housing need and demand assessment, HNDA, and the summary of social housing assessment, SSHA, are the key tools in determining these targets. The HNDA provides evidence-based insights into housing needs across all tenures, analysing demographic trends, affordability data and housing stock pressures. This framework allows local authorities to make informed decisions about future housing requirements. Details of local authority and AHB delivery are set out in the housing delivery action plans prepared by each local authority. These plans have been published on each local authority's website.

The specific point the Deputy was making was in the context of the national planning framework and how that can filter down and be effective on the ground.

The Deputy raised a specific point about local development plans and local area plans. I will let him come back in and then I will respond.

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