John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 466: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the funding provided to Waterford City Council under the affordable housing scheme in each of the past five years to 2009; the amount allocated for 2010; the number of houses in Waterford city provided under this scheme in each of those years; the number that will be provided under the scheme in Waterford city in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20585/10]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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Under the 1999 affordable housing scheme houses are acquired by a local authority by means of borrowing through the Housing Finance Agency (HFA). In the five year period 2005 to 2009 €1,507,000 was drawn down by Waterford City Council from the HFA in respect of the provision of affordable housing.

Exchequer funding in respect of the affordable housing scheme is confined to:

· the payment of mortgage subsidy to local authorities to reduce the monthly outgoings of purchasers with household income below €28,000 in the previous tax year; and,

· the payment of a site subsidy to local authorities which enables them to provide housing under the 1999 scheme at an affordable price and at a discount from the market value of similar houses in their areas. Site subsidy is demand led and depends particularly on the price paid by a local authority for land and on those authorities applying for subsidy in the first place. In the years 2005 – 2009 no site subsidy was paid to Waterford City Council.

The table below sets out the amount of mortgage subsidy paid to Waterford City Council from 2005 to 2009.

Information on annual affordable housing activity in each local authority is available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie. Information is also published in my Department's Housing Statistics Bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library.