Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 27: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on whether the recent announcement on social housing will eliminate local authority housing waiting lists; the date by which he expects the elimination to have taken place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22751/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government's commitment to improving social and affordable housing is reflected in a number of recent announcements. In May I announced this year's allocations for the commencement of 5,500 new housing starts by local authorities to be further boosted to 6,000 starts when new house starts under the regeneration programmes, principally in Ballymun, are taken into consideration. In addition, the main local authority construction programme will deliver the completion of 5,500 units this year. Output by the voluntary and co-operative sector is expected to add a further 1,800 house completions to supplement the main local authority housing construction programme.

At the request of my Department, new multi-annual action plans have been prepared by local authorities for the provision of social and affordable housing for the period 2004 to 2008. These have been approved by my Department and are designed to assist local authorities in identifying priority needs in the next few years and providing a coherent, co-ordinated response across all housing services, including delivery of housing by the voluntary and co-operative sector. Financial envelopes have been secured for the next five years to underpin the multi-annual approach in the action plans.

It is anticipated this year that total social housing provision, including new local authority housing, vacancies that arise in existing houses and output under the various measures, should meet the needs of about 13,000 households. This compares with 8,500 households in 1998. In addition, it is anticipated that the number of households in private accommodation will transfer to the new rental accommodation scheme. The Government's commitment to making housing more affordable is reflected in last week's announcement of the new affordable homes partnership. The partnership will drive and co-ordinate the delivery of affordable housing in the greater Dublin area.

It is also intended that the partnership will take responsibility, as far as practicable, for the affordable housing initiative projects on State lands in the greater Dublin area. This will include the use of the land swap option, similar to that piloted on the Harcourt Terrace Lane site. The partnership will work initially via the existing planning development framework, but additional legislative powers will be available should they prove necessary.

As part of the broader delivery of housing nationally, all local authorities will review their land management strategies to maximise the availability of land for their housing programmes and voluntary and co-operative housing partnerships with the private sector, and to secure more active use of brownfield land and derelict sites. I believe that the development of the action plans and the increased capital investment this year in housing, along with the establishment of the new affordable homes partnership, reflects the Government's targeted response to social and affordable housing need.

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Will we be able to use the time saved on other questions for this question?

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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No. As this is the last week before the recess, the Chair will allow those questions. However, I do not want it to be taken as a precedent for the future.

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I will therefore only use the time available to me. How many individuals and families are on local authority housing waiting lists? Does the Minister of State concede that the deficit of data in this area is very strange? Is it not true that the housing needs assessment is published once every three years? How can the Minister of State make policy in this area in these circumstances?

How can the Minister of State justify his announcement last week on affordable housing when there is a lack of housing driving up local authority waiting lists every year? The Minister of State made a statement last week which sounded like it would solve all problems. Would it not be more desirable if the Minister of State sold land on the open market rather than give it away to builders and built houses in suitable areas rather than in the outskirts of cities?

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is correct. There is a major examination of housing lists every three years. The last compilation in 2002 showed that 48,000 families were on the lists. Families can be represented by just one person; 30% of the list consisted of single people and 32% consisted of one adult and one child. The 48,000 families on the list represented 109,000 people. People can calculate the figures on an ongoing basis but the major needs assessment is done every three years. The figures this year will be out in the autumn. One does not need monthly figures to set long-term plans. The three-year system represents a detailed needs assessment.

Last week's announcement was a considerable response by the Government. It was a fabulous arrangement——

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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It was fabulous for the builders.

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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It was the third fall back made by the Government.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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There are 193 houses on four tenths of an acre.

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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We could have gone ahead and built around 30 apartments on the Harcourt Terrace site. Instead of that we are getting 193 units.

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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When are we getting them?

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Up to 140 of them will be built this year and the remainder will be built early next year. That is the real beauty of it. We are not just providing more units, we are also providing them very quickly. We might have had to wait three or four years for the 30 apartments, but now we are getting 140 units this year and the remainder next year. That was a very innovative project and I was very pleased with the announcement.

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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What happened to the 10,000 houses that the Minister of State promised but never delivered?

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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We are working on them.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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I call on the Minister to answer Question No. 24.

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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What was the value of the houses he gave away last week?

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy has lost the argument so he should sit down.