Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 450: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of people who are on the waiting list for local authority housing in County Donegal; the steps he proposes to take to shorten this list and provide housing for those most in need as soon as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46797/08]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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The number of households on a local authority's waiting list continuously fluctuates as households on the list are allocated housing and new households apply for housing support. My Department does not hold information in relation to the numbers currently on waiting lists in County Donegal.

The 2008 statutory housing need assessment indicated that the net housing need in County Donegal at 31 March 2008 was 2,519 households. The breakdown by authority in that county is:

Donegal County Council — 1,763 households;

Bundoran Town Council — 91 households;

Buncranna Town Council — 150 households; and

Letterkenny Town Council — 515 households.

The Government has been responding to the increased social housing need over the last number of years by expanding its social housing investment programme. Local authorities have recorded significant levels of housing output culminating in a record output of over 9,000 units in 2007. Indications are that the public housing programme will provide over 9,000 new dwellings again in 2008 through a combination of local authority construction and acquisition programmes, the programmes of voluntary and co-operative housing bodies and by means of long term arrangements with private property owners under the Rental Accommodation Scheme.

Looking to the future, €1.66 billion in funding has been provided for housing in the 2009 Estimates which will support continued strong momentum towards meeting housing needs, our commitments in Towards 2016 and our long-term goals under the National Development Plan.