Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 146: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent, if any, to which an examination has taken place into the possibility of utilising some of the excess housing stock now under the control of the National Asset Management Agency to address the housing needs of first-time buyers or local authority-listed housing applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37981/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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There is clear potential, across a range of housing programmes, for the Government's policy 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).

I have been engaging with my Department, very directly with NAMA to discuss options for bringing unsold suitable residential stock controlled by that Agency into productive use for social housing purposes. 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 in July 2011. Other proposals are currently being examined including leasing options as well as the purchase of units.