Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 13: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of properties that are leased for the long-term housing needs of persons seeking social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2525/10]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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To the end of last year, some 1,933 units were sourced and approved for leasing in order to meet the housing needs of persons requiring social housing support. Of these, 437 units are deemed to be operational on the basis of signed lease agreements in place. Given that I only introduced the Social Housing Leasing Initiative in February 2009, this represents significant progress and shows that the initiative, even at this early stage, is already starting to deliver.

The progress made in 2009 will be built on and developed further in the year ahead. It is anticipated that the leasing initiative and the RAS programme will together deliver some 4,000/4,500 units in 2010, accounting for 50% of the total social housing output expected this year.

These delivery mechanisms will continue to grow in importance in terms of our housing supply programme in the years ahead. Given increased housing needs at a time of limited Exchequer resources, leasing and RAS offer a pragmatic way of continuing to meet general housing needs, while allowing us to prioritise the available capital funding for programmes targeted at the most vulnerable and disadvantaged households.

Leasing and RAS are of course more than just a pragmatic response to market conditions. They constitute an important component of a graduated and flexible system of housing supports, within a lifecycle approach to meeting housing needs, which was clearly articulated in the Government's 2007 housing policy statement, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities.