Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 37: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department has plans to widen home ownership among those on low incomes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22283/05]

Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 136: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the recommendations contained in the NESC report, Housing in Ireland, which he will be implementing in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22345/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 136 together.

The NESC housing report endorses the Government's general approach to housing policy while highlighting important policy challenges ahead. These include ensuring a high quality sustainable development in both urban and rural areas, assisting the market to maintain a high level of supply and providing an effective range of supports to those households who fall below the affordability threshold.

We have being making substantial progress in addressing these concerns, with record overall housing output and increased investment in social and affordable housing. The new affordable homes partnership announced last week provides new impetus and additionality to the existing measures. The partnership will drive and co-ordinate the delivery of affordable housing in the greater Dublin area, GDA. It is also intended that the partnership take responsibility, as far as practicable, for affordable housing initiative projects on State lands in the GDA. This will include use of the land swap option, similar to that piloted on the Harcourt Terrace Lane site.

Initially, the partnership will work via the existing planning/development framework but additional legislative powers will be made available should they prove necessary. In addition, consideration is to be given to approaches dealing with land options and a "use it or lose it" scheme. 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 own housing programmes, voluntary and co-operative housing, housing partnerships with the private sector and to secure more active use of brown field land and derelict sites.

These measures are designed to provide a practical response, focused on delivery on the policy challenges identified by the NESC. The NESC also highlighted a number of issues, particularly in the social housing area, for further consideration. The Government intends to address these more medium-term issues for the provision of social and affordable housing in the early autumn. This process will be informed by the outcome of the statutory housing needs assessment currently under way and the work under way by the housing forum in reviewing the effectiveness of the existing social and affordable housing schemes in the context of the Sustaining Progress agreement.