Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 542: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount of publicly owned lands in the ownership of the various local authorities throughout the country; the extent of these lands which have already been zoned or are eligible for zoning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36967/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 546: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the acreage of zoned land in the administrative areas for each of the local authorities in Dublin city and county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36971/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 542 and 546 together.

My Department does not maintain a register of land owned by local authorities. However, my Department carries out a survey of the total amount of serviced land zoned for residential purposes, owned privately and by local authorities, at the end of June of each year. This survey is valuable in assessing the overall stock of land at the same point each year, and the sufficiency of that stock to underpin required housing supply. Details from the June 2004 survey are published in the Annual Housing Statistics Bulletin 2004, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library, and on the Department's website at www.environ.ie.

Since 2003, the Department has extended this survey to collate data on the amount of residentially zoned land owned directly by each local authority. However, we are not satisfied that the information received in its present form gives the overall picture of residentially zoned lands held by local authorities. We therefore have developed the 2005 survey further to improve the reliability and usefulness of the information to be collected. We are currently collecting and collating this information. This analysis would only provide a point in time assessment, as variation could be expected from year to year as lands are developed, particularly for social and affordable housing schemes. The Government has been focusing on measures to boost housing supply in response to demand. These measures are having success, with record output of some 77,000 homes in 2004. The availability of land that is serviced and zoned for residential purposes augurs well for future housing supply. Similarly in Dublin, output exceeded 16,800 units in 2004, up 80% on 2000 levels, and there were some 2,300 hectares of residentially zoned serviced land available in June 2004 to support future supply.