Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 162: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position regarding the role and activities of the Affordable Homes Partnership; if he will detail its structure, including governing arrangements, and the suggested role and functions of the new proposed housing agency of which the affordable homes agency is to become part; how this new agency will be accountable to him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14330/10]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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The Affordable Homes Partnership (AHP) was established in August 2005 under the aegis of my Department. The AHP is subject to public service corporate governance disciplines as outlined in the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, which includes audit and appropriate ethics requirements. The functions of the AHP are specified in the Affordable Homes Partnership (Establishment) Order, 2005, as amended by the Affordable Homes Partnership (Establishment) (Amendment) Order, 2007. By virtue of a provision in the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) (Confirmation of Orders) Act, 2008, this order has statutory effect as if it were an Act of the Oireachtas. Further details on the governance of the AHP and its structure, including details of the membership of the Board of the AHP, are available on the AHP's website, www.ahp.ie.

While the original core function of the AHP, co-ordinating and promoting the delivery of affordable housing, is of less urgency now in some local authority areas, considerable work is being carried out by the AHP in terms of assisting local authorities and the Department in addressing a number of issues directly relating to that core function. These include, for example: — ongoing support to local authorities to help them bring the remaining unsold affordable units into effective use; — assisting local authorities and the Department in mainstreaming the leasing initiative within the overall social housing investment programme; — review of local authority housing strategies; and — the provision of a central credit checking and loan assessment procedure for all local authority mortgage lending. The principal objective of the prospective Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency is to work with and assist the Department and local authorities in their objective of delivering sustainable communities in a high quality living environment by advising on, and assisting in, policy development and implementation, providing specialist support services, facilitating the provision of good quality housing and neighbourhoods and ensuring that development takes place in a manner that respects people, surroundings and the long-term common interest.

The Agency will be required to comply with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies.

An Implementation Group comprising personnel from my Department, the Department of Finance, the CCMA and the CEO Designate of the new Agency is currently working to bring the Agency through to establishment, including finalising Governance and accountability arrangements.