Written answers

Tuesday, 28 February 2012

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Social and Affordable Housing

8:00 pm

Photo of Niall CollinsNiall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Question 506: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his policy on social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11079/12]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Government's policy on housing, including social housing, is clearly set out in our housing policy statement published on 16 June 2011.

Photo of Niall CollinsNiall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Question 507: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his policy on tackling social housing waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11080/12]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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In terms of the delivery of social housing, the Government's housing policy statement, published in June 2011, clearly identifies that the priority for Government will be to meet the most acute needs of households applying for social housing support. The financial parameters within which we will have to operate in the coming years rule out a return to very large capital funded construction programmes by local authorities. Nevertheless, the Government is 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.

Delivery of social housing will be significantly facilitated through more flexible funding models such as the Rental Accommodation Scheme and leasing, but 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).

Photo of Niall CollinsNiall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Question 508: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his policy on using housing developments taken over by the National Assets Management Agency for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11081/12]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Government's new housing policy statement, published in June 2011, serves as a framework for a sequence of legislative and policy initiatives in the short to medium term. Within this framework is recognition of the 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).

In that context, in December 2011 NAMA identified over 2,000 properties as being potentially available for social housing. Local Authorities and the Housing Agency are working systematically with NAMA to determine if there is a demand for properties identified as potentially suitable for social housing. Where a demand is identified, this information is provided to NAMA and efforts made to secure as many of the suitable properties as possible for social housing. The units being advanced by NAMA will be provided through the Social Housing Leasing Initiative under the standard terms and conditions that apply.

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