Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 103: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the new role for the National Building Agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30015/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The primary objectives of the National Building Agency are to provide advisory services to local authorities in the provision of social housing and to undertake urban renewal projects on a commercial basis in joint venture arrangements with local authorities and-or builders and developers. The agency makes a valuable contribution in delivering on the Government's objectives on social housing through the voluntary, local authority and affordable housing programmes and major local authority housing refurbishment projects.

Within the agency's overall mandate, there is scope for its expertise to be deployed in providing certain support services to the recently established affordable homes partnership. The partnership, which was established with effect from 1 August 2005, is charged with co-ordinating and adding impetus to the delivery of affordable housing in the greater Dublin area which includes the four Dublin local authority areas and counties Meath, Kildare and Wicklow, with a particular focus on the Dublin area. My Department has had discussions with both the agency and the partnership about this issue and both organisations are now working to progress potential areas for co-operation.