Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 10: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to deal with the 100,000 people on social housing lists; his plans to extend the long-term leasing scheme; the extent to which he plans to extend this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9609/10]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Meeting housing need remains a high priority for the Government. While ensuring that we can deliver across the full range of needs, the scale and composition of the public housing programme in the years ahead will be dependent on a number of factors, including the level of available funding and the evolution of the housing market generally.

I am determined to ensure that the overall housing delivery programme is framed in a manner which continues to optimise the way in which needs are met. To achieve this, it is essential that we tailor the available Exchequer supports to prevailing market conditions, and explore alternative solutions to address needs, having full regard to the sustainable communities philosophy outlined in the Government's housing policy statement, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities.

To this end, the range of delivery mechanisms continues to be adapted and expanded and the Social Housing Leasing Initiative which was introduced last year will be a key element of the housing programme going forward. I expect a substantial number of units to be provided in the years ahead to meet the housing needs of the over 56,000 households on waiting lists across the country following the 2008 Housing Needs Assessment.

With regard to delivery in 2010, I anticipate that the leasing initiative and the RAS programme will together deliver some 4,000 to 4,500 units, or 50% of the total expected social housing output.

I will be keeping the leasing initiative and all the other housing programmes under ongoing review to ensure that they are appropriately geared towards meeting the maximum level of housing need. The progress made in 2009 will be built on and developed further in the year ahead and I expect to further expand the provisions of the initiative in the coming weeks.