Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 1369: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if compilation of a national public property register to identify properties in State control, suitable for housing projects, has been completed. [24961/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The OPW has compiled an electronic database of property holdings based on information supplied by Departments and agencies. Consistent with the commitment in the joint programme, the database has assisted in developing the affordable housing initiative, although further investigations were required to determine whether lands were suitable for housing.

The affordable housing initiative was agreed as part of the Sustaining Progress agreement. A key aspect of this initiative is the identification of surplus State land suitable for social and affordable housing projects. Sites released to date by local authorities and a range of other State agencies under the initiative provide for more than 70 individual projects throughout the country.

Together with affordable housing coming through so-called Part V arrangements, the sites identified so far have the potential to deliver more than 10,000 housing units, meeting the target proposed by the parties to the pay agreement.