Written answers
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
Department of Environment, Community and Local Government
National Asset Management Agency
Alan Farrell (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of empty housing units in Dublin in which the development is under the remit of the National Assets Management Agency; the number of housing units required by Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council; his views on the viability of using State owned properties that are under the remit of NAMA as accommodation for these families and persons as an alternative to sourcing extra funding for new properties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51003/12]
Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
To date, NAMA have identified over 3,700 units from their portfolio to be considered for social housing. Of those:
- 580 are in Dublin City Council's functional area,
- 18 in South Dublin County Council;
- 200 in Fingal County Council, and
- 301 in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown.
It should be noted that the properties under consideration 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 and not NAMA or the State. The remaining properties are controlled by receivers appointed by NAMA.
My Department does not hold information on the number of households on local authorities’ waiting lists and the requirement for new supply that this might generate. This figure continuously fluctuates as households are allocated housing and new households apply for housing support. Detailed information on the latest statutory assessment of housing need, carried out in March 2011 and including a breakdown by housing authority, is available on my Department’s website – www.environ.ie or on the Housing Agency’s website at www.housing.ie. The table below sets out the information from the 2011 assessment in respect of the 4 Dublin authorities.
| Housing Authority | Net Housing Need 2011 (households) |
|---|---|
| Dublin City Council | 8,091 |
| South Dublin County Council | 8,022 |
| Fingal County Council | 5,003 |
| Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council | 3,909 |
Delivery of social housing has been 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 include options to purchase, build to lease and the sourcing of loan finance by approved housing bodies for construction and acquisition. Added to this has been 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 NAMA.
No comments