Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 113: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount spent on the local authority house building programme, excluding the voluntary sector, in the past five years; the steps he intends to take to address the increasingly serious issue of the housing crisis; if he has sought information from or given instructions to the various local authorities with a view to making an early and positive impact on the scale of the problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22323/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Details of expenditure incurred on the main local authority housing construction-acquisition programme in the years 2000 to 2004, which is funded by a combination of Exchequer capital grants and local authority internal capital receipts, are set out in the following table.

The Government has responded actively to increased levels of social housing need by expanding social and affordable housing output. In the current year, the Government is allocating record levels of funding to local authorities for their social and affordable housing programmes. The total Exchequer capital and current funding available for social and affordable housing in 2005 will amount to €1.3 billion, which represents an increase of 20% on 2004. Total capital spending on social and affordable housing output in 2005, inclusive of non-Exchequer financing, will amount to almost €2 billion.

To ensure a systematic and integrated approach to the use of these resources, local authorities have, at my Department's request, developed new five-year action plans for social and affordable housing. The preparation of these plans will sharpen the identification of priority needs, and help to ensure a more coherent and co-ordinated response across all housing services, including those to be provided by the voluntary and co-operative housing sector. My Department is giving strong encouragement to local authorities to press ahead with the implementation of these action plans which are being underpinned by very substantial levels of Government funding. To underpin the multi-annual approach in the action plans, I have secured financial envelopes for the next five years.

The capital allocation of €841 million, which has been provided for the construction of local authority housing in 2005, an increase of €100 million on last year's allocation, will support the commencement of the construction of 6,000 new units by local authorities and the achievement of some 5,500 completions. In addition, house completions by the voluntary and co-operative sector is expected to be some 1,800 units this year.

Since 2000, the needs of almost 59,000 households have been met, taking account of local authority housing, vacancies arising in existing houses and output under both social and affordable housing measures. Overall, in 2005 it is anticipated that the needs of in excess of 13,000 households will be met through the same measures. In addition, it is anticipated that a number of households currently in private rented accommodation will transfer to the new rental accommodation scheme now being introduced. These households will continue to be mainly accommodated within the private rented sector.