Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 319: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will enhance the public housing programme by way of increased house building by the local authorities with the specific intention of meeting the requirements of first time house buyers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23156/07]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government's housing policy statement — Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities — and the National Development Plan 2007-2013 reflect the strong commitment to expand social and affordable housing provision contained in the social partnership agreement, Towards 2016. The NDP provides the resources — €18 billion in total — which will support increased output from social and affordable housing measures and result in the needs of 140,000 new households being met in this period. Within this, a significant programme of activity to assist house purchase is provided for. In particular, over the period of the NDP, 40,000 households will benefit from affordable housing. Some 17,000 of these will be delivered in the first three-year period, in line with the agreement in Towards 2016. My Department is working closely with local authorities and the Affordable Homes Partnership to achieve the significant increase in delivery required to meet these ambitious targets. In addition, NDP resources will be used to meet the needs of 100,000 households through a range of social housing measures. Some 63,000 new social homes will be commenced or acquired in the 2007-13 period, through a combination of local authority, voluntary and co-operative housing and new units for the rental accommodation scheme. Further households will benefit as they transfer to the rental accommodation scheme with their existing landlords or from naturally occurring vacancies. Over the 2007-09 period, sufficient resources will be made available to commence or acquire 27,000 new units of social housing. To ensure that these programmes are delivered in a coherent and co-ordinated manner, City and County Councils have put in place multi-annual Housing Action Plans which encompass delivery of social and affordable housing in their areas, including Town Councils. Meetings are being held with local authorities, as part of the ongoing interaction on Housing Action Plans, to support delivery in the 2008-10 period.