Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 300: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the Exchequer capital investment for each of the years 2006, 2007 and 2008, in respect of social housing; the amount in respect of affordable housing for each of the years 2006, 2007 and 2008; the amount in respect of voluntary and co-operative housing for each of the years 2006, 2007 and 2008. [18656/06]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 304: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the programme of investment in social and affordable housing for the years 2006, 2007 and 2008 respectively as set out under the new Housing Policy Framework. [18660/06]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 306: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the estimated capital cost of investing in infrastructure aimed at delivering high levels of housing and improved affordability over the next five, 10 and 15 years. [18662/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 300, 304 and 306 together.

Proposed Exchequer capital investment for the period 2006 to 2008 is estimated at almost €4 billion. This investment approximates to €6.5 billion when non-voted and current spending provisions are included. Details in relation to the 2006 housing provision are set out in the 2006 Revised Estimates for Public Services and Public Capital Programme. While the overall level of funding for the Department for 2007 and 2008, including the housing programme, has been agreed under the 2006-2010 multi annual capital envelopes, individual programme provisions for those years will be settled as part of the normal estimates process.

Building on this figure, the new housing policy statement, Housing Policy Framework: Building Sustainable Communities, outlines a substantially increased programme of investment in social and affordable housing in the 2006-2008 period. This investment will be undertaken in response to identified need, with some of 23,000 new units of social housing to be commenced and 15,000 units of affordable housing to be delivered over the same period. In addition, further households will be assisted through the new Rental Accommodation Scheme. In total, we expect some 50,000 households to benefit from various social and affordable housing measures over the coming three years.

Investment for the period to 2013, is being considered in the context of the next National Development Plan 2007-2013 (NDP). The relevant material of the NDP is being drafted by my Department and while the final content and focus of the overall Plan will be a matter for decision by Government, priorities for investment in housing and related areas will take account of a number of factors including the key policy challenges highlighted by the NESC report, the results of the 2005 Housing Needs Assessment and the housing policy framework document. It would not be practicable definitively to determine costs for time frames beyond this period.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 301: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of social housing units, affordable housing units and voluntary housing sector units produced here in the past decade; and the amount of social housing units, affordable housing units and voluntary housing sector units respectively produced here in the past decade, each expressed as a proportion of the total number of houses built here during that time. [18657/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The data on the number of social housing units, affordable housing units and voluntary housing units for each calendar year, are available in the Oireachtas Library, and also on my Department's website at www.environ.ie.

The Table below summarises the position over the past decade, 1996 to 2005.

In addition, further households have been accommodated in vacancies arising in the local authority housing stock, extensions to existing homes etc. This has resulted in the provision of social and affordable housing to 109,000 households in the period.