Written answers

Wednesday, 30 November 2011

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Local Authority Housing

10:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 23: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which local authorities can be encouraged to return to the concept of providing a reasonable number of local authority houses in each local authority area throughout the country, thereby reducing the extent of reliance on rent support, as a means of augmenting the local authority housing programme; if particular attention can be paid to the total number of persons currently on local authority housing waiting lists; the annual recurring cost of rent support and the obvious benefit to the Exchequer of reducing such a liability in the traditional manner by providing local authority houses for rent or purchase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37656/11]

Photo of Michael KittMichael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 123: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is satisfied that social housing provides better savings for the State in the long term, as well as secure tenure for residents, than the rent supplement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37876/11]

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 138: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if consideration might be given to increasing the local authority housing stock, with particular reference to the need to replace the current degree of reliance on social welfare-funded rent support; if any costings have been carried out as to the likely savings achievable in the event of increased capital spending on a housing programme resulting in multi-annual savings as opposed to an ever-increasing annual cost arising from rent support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37973/11]

Photo of Phil HoganPhil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 23, 123 and 138 together.

With levels of capital funding for social housing reduced by some 66% since 2008, the financial parameters within which the State is operating and will be operating over the coming years rule out a return to a mainly capital-driven construction programme by local authorities. Accordingly, delivery of social housing will be primarily facilitated by more flexible funding models, with the Social Housing Leasing Initiative and the Rental Accommodation Scheme providing the primary sources of supply.

The estimated cost of providing rental assistance by the State, including the rent supplement scheme operated by the Department of Social Protection, is of the order of €630 million in 2011. Over 110,000 households rely on this assistance to help meet their accommodation costs. Using this money to provide for the construction or acquisition of local authority housing would leave the vast majority of these households without housing support.

In terms of concerns with reliance on rent supplement as a housing support, the new housing policy statement published in June 2011 signalled key reforms in housing policy, including the phased transfer of responsibility for meeting the housing needs of long term rent supplement recipients from the community welfare service to the housing authorities. A steering group has been established to oversee the development of the project and a number of working groups have been established to address the wide range of complex issues involved.

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