Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 367: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his progress on the plan for housing delivering homes and sustaining communities; the funding of this plan to date in 2009; his views on whether the goals of this plan are achievable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40256/09]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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The housing policy statement, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, continues to provide a robust framework for addressing housing priorities in the years ahead. Considerable progress has been made on implementation of the programme and policy reforms outlined in the policy statement since its publication in February 2007. Relevant sections of my Department's Annual Reports and Annual Output Statements for 2007 and 2008, which are available in the Oireachtas Library and on my Department's website, www.environ.ie, provide comprehensive information in relation to the progress made by my Department on housing matters, particularly in terms of delivery under the various housing programmes, since the launch of the statement.

The financial provision for housing for 2009, some €1.4 billion, is enabling us to maintain a continued high level of momentum in meeting social housing needs. 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 long-term leasing initiative, some 7,000 completions are expected to be achieved this year. My Department is committed to continuing to optimise the delivery of social housing by tailoring the use of available Exchequer supports to prevailing market conditions, and by exploring alternative solutions to addressing housing needs, having full regard to the sustainable communities philosophy outlined in the policy statement.

Considerable progress has been made also on the reform programme outlined in the policy statement. The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 which gives effect to a range of social housing reform measures, many of which were outlined in the statement, was enacted in July 2009.

Among the provisions of the Act are measures relating to the adoption by housing authorities of housing services plans for the delivery of social and affordable housing supports, homelessness action plans and anti-social behaviour strategies, new and more objective methods of assessing need and allocating housing and a more effective management and control regime covering issues such as tenancies and rents. Work is now underway in my Department to bring the various provisions of the Act into operation and to prepare the necessary supporting regulations and guidelines to allow for full implementation.

In addition to these developments a new homelessness strategy was published last year and I expect work on a National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability, which is underway in my Department currently, to be completed early in 2010.

Actions have also been taken to improve housing quality and design. Comprehensive planning guidelines to address apartment standards and residential density as well as new housing design guidelines, Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities, have been published by my Department over the past two years with a view to supporting the achievement of the objective of creating sustainable communities.