Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 17: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the way the new social housing policy and its focus on providing social housing through leasing and arrangements with private landlords rather than through the direct provision of new local authority housing makes any financial sense; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24240/11]

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 46: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to invest in long-term development of the public housing stock. [24114/11]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 47: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will explain the financial logic, in terms of making best use of public funds, behind his new social housing policy and its focus on providing social housing through leasing and other arrangements with private landlords and bodies rather than through the direct provision of new local authority housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24235/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 17, 46 and 47 together.

The new framework for housing policy, launched earlier in June 2011, responds to current and emerging conditions in the housing sector, taking account of the dramatic cycle of rapid growth and sudden collapse in the residential property market. The centrepiece of the approach is to chart a way forward for housing policy in Ireland by placing greater emphasis on:

· choice;

· equity across housing tenures; and

· delivering quality outcomes for the resources invested.

In terms of the delivery of social housing, the policy framework confirms the Government's focus on meeting the most acute needs – the housing support needs of those unable to provide for their accommodation from their own resources.

Financial consideration for the coming years rule out a return to very large capital funded construction programmes by local authorities. Nevertheless, we are committed to responding more quickly and on a larger scale to social housing support needs through a variety of mechanisms including through increased provision of social housing.

It is not possible to purchase or build anything like the same number of units as can be provided through more flexible revenue based programmes such as RAS and leasing, in conjunction with programmes that deliver permanent new social housing units, such as the Capital Assistance Scheme and direct lending to approved housing bodies.

This does not mean eliminating traditional modes of delivery but tailoring those supports in light of the market conditions and the financial parameters within which we are working. Flexibility will be key to maximising delivery into the future. In addition, the expanded range of schemes aimed at addressing social housing need allows for more efficient and effective use of available public resources and maximises the levels of social housing that can be achieved, while taking advantage of the greater availability of private stock for rental.

In addition to flexible funding models such as RAS and leasing, the Government is also committed to developing other funding mechanisms that will increase the supply of permanent new social housing. Such mechanisms will include options to purchase, build to lease, and the sourcing of loan finance by approved housing bodies for construction and acquisition. There is also obvious potential, across a range of housing programmes, for the Government's objective of sourcing and providing suitable residential units for use as social housing to be aligned with the commercial objectives of the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA). The first scheme of this nature, with property held by NAMA being purchased by an approved housing body through loan finance from the Housing Finance Agency, was launched last July.

Regarding investment in social housing stock, my Department is committed to supporting local authorities in maintaining and improving the quality of the national social housing stock through a range of measures including large-scale urban regeneration programmes, improving the standard and energy efficiency of dwellings, pre-letting repairs and improvements, and refurbishment works to vacant properties in order to return these to productive use as quickly as possible.