Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 352: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has any information available to him regarding the amount of land zoned for residential development that is surplus to current housing needs; his estimates in that regard; the steps he plans to take to address the issue of there being too much land rezoned for future housing development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21102/11]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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The Housing Land Availability Survey is an annual survey undertaken by my Department which seeks information from local authorities on the amount of zoned residential land in their areas that is currently serviced at a point in time. Data are also sought on the estimated yields (such as housing units) from these lands.

The 2010 survey, which is to be published shortly as part of my Department's Annual Housing Statistics Bulletin 2010, indicates that there are currently 19,821 hectares of serviced residentially zoned land nationally, with an estimated yield of over 500,000 housing units. Some commentators have estimated that a reasonable long-term housing demand figure might be 40,000 housing units per annum which would suggest that there is sufficient zoned capacity nationally for residential development for over 12 years. Current completion levels are much lower, running at less than 15,000 units per annum.

The Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010 introduced a number of reforms to the development plan process to provide for greater consistency of plans at regional, city/county and local area levels, to require a core strategy to be incorporated into development plans and to reinforce the practice of developing evidence-based policy objectives into future development plans including zoning objectives. These new provisions are currently being reflected and implemented in new development plans and in variations to existing plans and planning authorities will have to ensure local area plans are consistent with the development plan thereafter.