Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 84: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas the details, including financial implications, of his plans to enable local authorities to lease estates from developers as outlined in a statement (detailed supplied); if he will lay out his programme to spend €20 million in leasing currently idle properties from developers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10166/09]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The new leasing initiative, under which authorities will procure properties on long-term leases of 10-20 years, is designed to widen further the sources of supply for social housing and thereby help create a flexible range of delivery mechanisms for local authorities to meet the demand for housing.

The initiative will also maximise the level of social housing need that can be met from available public resources and will lead to many more homes being provided to those that need them, than could be delivered by relying solely on construction and acquisition programmes. It will make use of some of the vacant housing stock throughout the country, thereby avoiding any time lag in providing homes for households in need, and achieving value for money at a time of constraint in the public finances.

I have set aside €20 million to support this new initiative in 2009. It is expected that through this a minimum of 2,000 additional homes will be procured this year. It will be a matter for each local authority to determine what properties and locations are suitable for leasing; however, in putting forward proposals authorities will be expected to have regard to the Department's guidelines on social housing and all proposals for funding must be consistent with the policy of creating sustainable communities.

Further details of the scheme can be found in a circular recently issued by my Department, which will be forwarded to the Deputy.