Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this matter. I refer to the inordinate delay in the handing over of 48 apartment units at Clare Village, Malahide Road, Dublin 17, from NAMA to Tuath Housing for allocation by Dublin City Council to families on the council's homeless list. There is a housing crisis in the country and a serious homelessness problem, which dates to the collapse of the property market and the cessation of building projects. To address the situation the Government instructed NAMA to make available vacant units under its administration that were built by builders who went out of business or otherwise into liquidation and whose units were lying idle. Clare Village, Malahide Road is a case in point.

There are half a dozen homeless families in my constituency who come to me on a regular basis. At the beginning of January this year they were informed through Dublin City Council that they were to be selected for the allocation of those particular units. They had been homeless for some time before that but they were hopeful of being housed in the near future. Their expectation was that it would happen within a short time.

I know of a number of cases of ongoing delays. I am full of praise for the homeless section at Dublin City Council because its job is difficult but is done properly and professionally.

In January a family was told it would be allocated a unit and could move in towards the end of March. The family had previously been in refuge and temporary accommodation and there are other such families who must move around. I do not know the reason but March passed and the family were not allowed to move in. Instead they were told they could move in towards the end of April but this did not happen either. At the beginning of April the family were told there were unspecified administrative difficulties but that they could move into the unit in eight weeks. This period has long passed. The family were then told they could move in at the end of June and this has now changed to the end of July. There is a pattern to this.

I asked Dublin City Council to explain the delay but it will not tell me nor the two housing associations that contacted it. This accommodation is under the control of NAMA and that is a difficult body to deal with because of the regulations under which it operates. One must be careful what one says if one contacts NAMA because one could be accused of lobbying.

The point is, there are half a dozen such families in my constituency and there are 48 apartments available, so families from across the city could be housed. Instead they are still in emergency accommodation and hostels waiting to occupy units that are ready. I do not know the reason for the delays. It could be a matter of legal conveyancing, administration or simply somebody not getting on with things, but it is unacceptable.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I answer this question on behalf of the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, who has special responsibility for housing but is unavoidably delayed.

I thank Deputy Seán Kenny for raising this matter and I have listened with interest to what he has said. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government continues to work closely and successfully with NAMA, the Housing Agency, local authorities and approved housing bodies on the delivery of social housing. To the end of the first quarter of this year 1,849 available units identified by NAMA have been confirmed by local authorities as being suitable for social housing. Some 684 units have been contracted or committed for social housing use. A further 451 properties are considered as being active transactions where terms are agreed or active negotiation is ongoing by all parties concerned or where a detailed appraisal, determining the most likely delivery mechanism, is being carried out. An additional 702 properties are to be further appraised, signalling likely delivery in 2015 and 2016. Some 367 units were delivered in 2013 alone, a significant increase on 2012. Updated information on the delivery of NAMA sourced units for the second quarter of this year is being finalised and will be made available shortly on the Housing Agency's website.

The Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, has no statutory function in the allocation of tenancies and she is precluded from intervening in the decisions made by housing authorities in the allocation of particular dwellings. However, the Department is working with Tuath, NAMA, Dublin City Council and the Housing Agency to expedite timely delivery of these units at Clare Village.

It is important to note that the process of delivery of units at Clare Village involves a significant multi-unit transaction. With this comes the added complexity of getting agreement from a number of parties who, while fully committed to the process, are operating within an environment subject to a range of legal and financial challenges, including ensuring compliance with the Multi-Units Development Act.

Within this context significant progress has been made, and I understand that contractual arrangements to secure these units for social housing, which involve the NAMA special purpose vehicle, National Asset Residential Property Services Limited, are expected to be finalised shortly. Once that process has been completed, the remaining lease agreements involving the various stakeholders, which are being progressed in parallel, can be completed. I understand that, barring any unforeseen events, these units are expected to be made available for allocation in the coming weeks.

Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for that reply. I understand the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, has no role in the allocation of units but that is not the issue I was trying to raise. A decision has already been made in these cases to allocate apartment units. I am baffled by the complexity of this matter because it involves four bodies, Tuath, a voluntary body, NAMA, Dublin City Council and the Housing Agency, and a special purpose vehicle was mentioned also. There is a need for co-ordination on this.

It is very difficult to get a precise reason for the delay. I hope what the Minister of State said is correct and that the units will be available in a couple of weeks, but I am aware of similar developments that have seen months of delays. There should be a detailed analysis of the cause of the delays rather than references to multi-unit developments and the many bodies involved. I also seek a more specific answer on the timescale.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I am happy to raise these comments with the Department, along with the assurances on the timeline the Deputy seeks as they are not included in the speech I have given. I will ask the Department to contact the Deputy as a matter of urgency and I support the views he expressed. Regardless of the complexity of the matter, it is the intention of all concerned, particularly the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, to deliver these units as quickly as possible.