Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 277: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of applications for home choice loans made to or through the various local authorities in the past 12 months; the number approved, rejected or pending; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36324/09]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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Over 1,400 prospective purchasers have formally registered interest on the dedicated Home Choice loan website and, to date, 38 applications have been made. Of these 26 have been declined, 3 approvals in principle have issued, 3 applications have been withdrawn, and a decision is pending in respect of 6 applications where further information has been sought from the applicant.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 278: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his proposals to ensure the provision of an adequate number of local authority houses to meet the demands over the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36325/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 279: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the full extent of the funding provided by his Department to each of the local authorities here in each of the past five years to date to meet the social housing requirements; the number of houses provided by the local authorities on foot of same; the number provided by voluntary housing sectors and funding by his Department in the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36326/09]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 278 and 279 together.

The overall level of funding provided under the Social Housing Investment Programme for the supply of local authority and voluntary/co-operative housing for the years in question is as follows:

*Capital Assistance Scheme and Capital Loan and Subsidy Scheme

A breakdown of funding by area is set out in the following tables.

Information in relation to activity under the range of housing programmes over the past five years, including details of the numbers of housing units provided, 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, www.environ.ie.

Meeting social housing need remains a high priority for the Government. To this end, the range of delivery mechanisms continues to be adapted to ensure that we meet the maximum number of housing needs, in good quality accommodation, in the most cost effective way, having regard to the prevailing economic climate. For example, I announced earlier this year the introduction of a new Social Housing Leasing Initiative, through which it is expected that a substantial number of dwellings will be provided in the years ahead to meet housing demand. I will be keeping this, and all the other local authority and voluntary and co-operative housing programmes under ongoing review to ensure that they are appropriately geared towards meeting the maximum level of housing need.

Table 1: Local Authority Housing Supply

Table 2: Voluntary/Co-Operative Housing Supply