Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1845: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the proposals he has to introduce measures to increase the stock of affordable and rented housing. [1592/07]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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NDP 2007-2013, which was launched last week, announced a €18 billion investment programme in housing over the next seven years. This programme sets targets of 60,000 new units of social housing together with some 40,000 affordable homes to be delivered over the plan period. In addition, further households will benefit under contractual arrangements with landlords for existing properties transferring from the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Rent Supplement Scheme to the Rental Accommodation Scheme.

This level of output, together with accommodation made available through vacancies and other social housing measures, means that an estimated 140,000 new households will have their accommodation needs met over the coming seven years. Action under the NDP to rejuvenate existing social housing will be intensified and the provision of grant aid to adapt private housing to meet the needs of people with a disability and the needs of older people will also be supported.