Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 21: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of persons registered on the various local authority housing waiting lists here; the number of houses built in each of the past three years directly by each of the local authorities; the number allocated in the same period; the number required by each local authority; the manner required by each local authority; the manner in which it is intended to meet such requirements in full in 2009, or in future years; the number of local authority housing starts for 2009; the allocation of funds for this purpose until the end of 2009; the extent to which this will meet or fall short of targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18156/09]

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. It is up to individual housing authorities to plan the composition, management and delivery of their social housing investment programmes having regard to the specific social housing priorities in their areas and to the Exchequer funding allocated to them, which is based on their identified 2008 statutory assessment of housing need. Preliminary findings from the 2008 assessment are available on my Department's website, www.environ.ie.

Information in relation to activity under the range of housing programmes in 2006, 2007 and 2008 is set out in my Department's annual and quarterly Housing Statistics Bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas library and on my Department's website. In recent days, local authorities have been advised of their housing programme allocations for 2009. Over €1.3 billion is being provided for the broad range of social housing programmes this year, with €760m of this earmarked for the main local authority housing programme, including €20 million for long-term leasing arrangements. Taking all the social housing programmes together, including those of the voluntary and co-operative housing sector, and having regard to the capacity to access suitable housing available in the current housing market, including through the recently announced long-term leasing initiative, some 7,000 completions are expected to be achieved this year, with a similar level of starts.

Based on the recently announced allocations, it will be a matter for housing authorities to finalise their plans for the composition, management and delivery of their programmes, taking into account existing commitments, identifying priority projects and proposals and providing a time line for delivery and a sustainable funding plan for each project and their programme as a whole.