Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of additional units of permanent social housing his Department is committed to delivering in net terms between 2005 and 2012. [36684/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government's consideration of this matter will be informed by the outcome of the statutory housing needs assessment being finalised at present and the work by the housing forum in reviewing the effectiveness of the existing social and affordable housing schemes in the context of the Sustaining Progress agreement.

The Government has put in place a number of new arrangements to facilitate the delivery of strong programmes of social and affordable housing. In consultation with my Department, local authorities have developed five-year action plans for their social and affordable housing programmes covering the period to 2008. The preparation of these plans has improved the identification of priority needs and will help to ensure a more coherent and co-ordinated response across all housing services.

They have also provided an overview of delivery by a range of providers — local authorities, voluntary and co-operative housing bodies and the private sector, through Part V and public private partnership arrangements. A mid-term review of plans will be undertaken next year which will allow for adjustments to be made in light of actual performance and any new housing policy initiatives arising in the interim.

The Government has successfully promoted a range of measures to provide additional social housing in recent years, and is committed to maintaining strong programmes into the future. Local authorities have been ambitious in terms of the level of output planned in their housing actions plans to 2008. Some €2 billion is being made available for housing programmes in 2006 to increase further the output of social and affordable housing. It is anticipated that the needs of more than 13,000 households will be met through various social and affordable housing measures in 2006.