John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 522: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that corporations are buying houses within private estates for tenants as social housing; the number of houses which have been provided within estates in this way; the number of homes which have been provided in this way in County Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30855/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Local authorities have been encouraged to accelerate progress on the implementation of their housing programmes in order to provide as many social housing units as possible to meet housing need. This includes the acquisition of dwellings to meet their housing targets as set out in their Housing Action Plans. Typically, local authorities purchase such units in areas where they do not have the necessary land for development or to address the specific housing needs of persons on the waiting lists.

A total of 918 dwellings were acquired by local authorities in 2005. In this period, Sligo County and Borough Councils acquired 8 and 20 dwellings respectively. Information on the number of local authority housing units acquired in previous years is published in my Department's Annual Bulletin of Housing Statistics and is available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie.