Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 687: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if a cost benefit analysis was carried out in respect of Government proposals to swap State land for affordable housing; if such a cost benefit analysis was carried out to make available data in respect of each proposed transaction including the value of each plot of land being transferred to a developer, the value of an asset being received in exchange for the land and the estimated sale price of each affordable housing unit. [23879/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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A value for money analysis was carried out on the Harcourt Terrace Lane site as part of the procurement process, which itself was open and transparent and conducted by Dublin City Council as project managers for the site. The analysis included data in respect of the pre-tender value of the site, the value of the equity being received in exchange for the site and the estimated sale price of the affordable housing units.

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 688: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will provide details of all developers and builders with whom the Government intends to engage in swapping State land for affordable housing units. [23880/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Following an open and transparent procurement process conducted by Dublin City Council, who were project managers for the exchange of the Harcourt Terrace Lane site, Durkan Homes was selected as the preferred bidder. The six other sites identified as having potential for similar exchanges will be marketed, and procurement undertaken, on a similar basis.

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 689: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department or any other member of Government was lobbied by developers or others seeking the release of State lands which are now proposed to be swapped for affordable housing at other locations; and if any such lobbying occurred the details of same. [23881/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Construction Industry Federation made a submission in April 2004 to the Department of the Taoiseach proposing a number of additional measures to accelerate delivery of affordable units under the affordable housing initiative, AHI. In response, the Taoiseach announced to the parties to Sustaining Progress in July 2004 that alternative strategies for fast-tracking delivery would be pursued, including the possibility of swapping valuable sites in return for affordable housing in a manner that ensures more units, quicker delivery and better value for money.

Apart from the above, my Department is aware of only one other approach from the construction sector about the release of State lands under the AHI. This was made to my Department last year by an estate agent operating in the Cork area who inquired as to whether State lands, including the Department of Agriculture and Food site at Model Farm Road in Cork city, would be put on the market as a land swap option. The reply given orally by my Department was that all matters concerning the early delivery of units under the initiative were under active consideration.

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 690: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department considered making the State land which is to be transferred to developers available to either the relevant local authority or a voluntary or co-operative housing association for the construction of social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23882/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The land swap programme is designed to accelerate delivery of affordable housing units under the affordable housing initiative. The model to be used will be similar to that piloted on the Harcourt Terrace Lane site. The exchange of a 0.4-acre site is now set to deliver some 193 affordable houses in private housing estates, 140 of which will be available in 2005 with the balance in 2006. Consequently, substantially more households will benefit in a quicker timeframe than building on the Harcourt Terrace Lane site, which has a maximum residential development potential of some 30 apartments.

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 brownfield land and derelict sites.