Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 542: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the 20% social and affordable housing requirements anticipated in Part 5 of the Planning Act 2000 refers to 20% of the housing units or 20% of the area of the site to be dedicated towards social and affordable housing; if he has received communication from local authorities in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42898/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2006 requires, inter alia, that up to 20% of land zoned for residential developments or for a mix of residential and other uses, is to be reserved to meet social and affordable housing needs. Instead of the transfer of land there are other options available to satisfy the Part V requirement viz. the provision of new units or other lands within the functional area of the local authority; the transfer of fully or partially serviced sites to the local authority or to an approved housing association, the payment of money in lieu of land or a combination of the above. As a matter of policy, my Department has made it clear that local authorities should regard the early delivery of completed homes as a priority, when they are concluding Part V agreements.

The legislation requires, inter alia, that where a local authority consent to the use of one of the alternative options available to meet the Part V requirement, the aggregate monetary value of the option being agreed to must, in all cases, be equivalent to the monetary value of the land that the planning authority would receive if the agreement provided solely for the transfer of land.

My Department's most recent Part V guidelines issued on 27 November 2006 stated, inter alia, that equivalent monetary value can be achieved through acceptance of a percentage of the total units on-site based on the percentage unit requirement in the relevant housing strategy. The guidelines were prepared following discussions with local authorities and the home building industry.