Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 197: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount of funding allocated for housing starts, acquisition and maintenance to all of the town councils in the Cork East constituency including Mallow, Fermoy, Youghal, Cobh and Midleton; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11080/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is currently meeting all housing authorities as part of the annual Housing Action Plan review process. Following this, allocations under the social housing investment programme will be made to all housing authorities. I expect to be in a position to announce the allocations for 2008 in April.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 198: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to eliminate long-standing social housing lists; his views on whether it is appropriate that families on low incomes should be left on housing lists for five to nine years and more; and if he will issue directives to Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council and other local authorities in this matter. [11085/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Good progress is being made on the delivery of social housing programmes with some 9,000 new social housing starts achieved in 2007. This is in line with the commitment in Towards 2016 to achieve 27,000 starts in the period 2007 to 2009. Record levels of funding for social and affordable housing are being provided in 2008 with over €2.5 billion available for housing programmes generally. The total Exchequer provision for housing in 2008 is over €1.7 billion — an increase of approximately 11% on the 2007 provision. The funding will allow for the commencement of a significant number of new social housing units, further progress under regeneration programmes, as well as bringing to completion a large number of units under both the local authority and voluntary housing programmes.

I expect to announce individual local authority allocations under the Social Housing Investment Programme for 2008 in April. Local authorities are currently undertaking the 2008 statutory assessment of housing need. Information on housing need will be available from this assessment later this year.