John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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Question 47: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has considered taking all suitable National Asset Management Agency houses and apartments into public ownership for social housing in view of the fact that these properties have already been paid for by the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13100/12]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The properties under consideration for social housing purposes are part of the security for loans that NAMA has acquired. In the majority of cases, properties remain in the ownership of the original borrowers. The remaining properties are controlled by receivers appointed by NAMA. NAMA's commercial and legal obligations preclude the provision of properties free of charge for social housing purposes. NAMA is, however, committed to ensuring that provision is made for social housing and that mixed developments are encouraged.

The units being advanced through NAMA will, in general, be provided through the social housing leasing initiative under the standard terms and conditions that apply in that scheme. A local authority will have the option of leasing the properties directly from the relevant borrower or receiver. Alternatively, an approved housing body may secure the properties through direct leasing or, in some cases, by purchasing using private or HFA finance and leasing them back to the State.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 48: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that more than 43% of those on local authority housing waiting lists are concentrated in the areas of Dublin city, south Dublin, Cork city, Cork county, Fingal and Kildare; his views that there is a real crisis in some parts of the country which demonstrates the need for more targeted solutions; the targeted measures he proposes to help reduce numbers waiting in the aforementioned areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13235/12]

Jan 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. These needs reflect a range of factors including population densities in the larger urban areas. 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).