Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 152: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if houses acquired under the leasing initiative will be distributed for social housing [i]en bloc[/i] or in dispersed mode; if consideration been given to private purchasers who bought properties on the understanding that they would be living in an estate which would have 20% social housing under the Part V obligation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35820/09]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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It is essential that all State investment in housing support, including through leasing arrangements, complies fully with the "sustainable communities" philosophy at the heart of the Government's housing policy, as outlined in Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities. In this context, while my Department has not specified a limit on the number of housing units that can be leased for social housing purposes, a circular and guidance note issued by my Department to housing authorities states that authorities must have regard to the concentration of social housing in a particular development or in the general area where leased properties are proposed. This would include taking account of how much housing has been acquired for social purposes under Part V of the Planning and Development Act.

In seeking approval for proposals, authorities must provide details of the overall development concerned and the breakdown of the types of occupancy i.e. market/private housing, affordable housing and social housing. This is necessary to demonstrate compliance with the mixed income, mixed tenure objectives of the overall "sustainable communities" policy and these details are considered by my Department when assessing proposals. Leased properties, because of their broad geographical distribution will facilitate, rather than impede, the widely endorsed aim of supporting the development of mixed-income and mixed-tenure communities. The unacceptable alternative is a return to previously pursued flawed approaches of developing large mono-tenure estates, with all the attendant issues of social, economic and educational disadvantage.

Even prior to the introduction of leasing arrangements, the quantum of social housing in any particular development could be influenced by a number of factors. In addition to units delivered under the Part V mechanism, units could also be acquired by local authorities as part of their normal acquisitions programme, where this was considered appropriate, or could be secured through the Rental Accommodation Scheme.