Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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148. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of new social housing homes being provided in 2013 throughout each of the county and county borough local authorities administrative areas; the impact the above programme or other measures will have on the national housing lists. [22047/13]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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149. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the plans, if any, he has to launch a public housing investment programme in 2013; and the effect such a programme could have on the national housing list up to the end of 2015. [22048/13]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 148 and 149 together.

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. I am determined to ensure that the social housing programme optimises the delivery of social housing and the return for the resources invested. To achieve this, it is essential that we tailor the use of available Exchequer supports to prevailing conditions and explore the full range of solutions to address housing needs.

In terms of addressing the demand for social housing, the social housing capital budget has been reduced from €1.535 billion in 2008 to €287m in 2013 and the financial parameters within which we will be operating for the coming years rule out a return to large capital funded construction programmes. 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. In July 2012 I announced details of a three-year funding programme of €100 million to deliver some 800 new units of voluntary and local authority owned social housing. I am monitoring expenditure under my Department’s housing programme for 2013, together with the level of contractual commitments extending into 2014, with a view to a decision later this year on approving some limited new construction and house purchases over the period to end 2014.

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). My Department and the Housing Agency are engaged with NAMA to ensure delivery of housing units for social purposes.

In spite of the challenging circumstances within which local authorities must operate the final outcome for 2012 is expected to be in the region of 4,000 to 4,500 housing units. Given the current volatility of the market and different challenges to the channels of supply it is difficult to estimate the likely output of new units for social housing this year. However, it is provisionally estimated that in the region of 5,000 units will be provided for social housing in 2013.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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150. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, the amount of Exchequer funding provided to voluntary or cooperative housing organisations operating here in 2012; and if he will provide the amount of such funding that is allocated for these organisations in 2013. [22049/13]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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151. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline, in tabular form, the percentage of homes in the social housing stock that are managed by each of the voluntary or cooperative housing organisations; if he is satisfied with the level of input by this sector in the provision of social housing; the number of housing units brought on stream by these organisations in 2012 and to date in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22050/13]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 150 and 151 together.

My Department’s role in relation to the voluntary housing capital funding schemes relates primarily to the provision of funds to support the annual construction and housing acquisitions programmes by the sector. It is a matter for the relevant housing authority to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of the schemes, and to have appropriate oversight and liaison arrangements in place for the effective administration of the schemes and for ensuring that the investment in voluntary housing is safeguarded.

At the end of 2012 a total of 25,371 units of accommodation had been provided by approved voluntary and co-operative housing bodies under my Department’s capital funding schemes since the inception of the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) in 1984 and the Capital Loan and Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) in 1992. Exchequer funding of €1.3 billion was provided under the CAS for the provision of some 15,262 units of accommodation for persons with specific categories of housing need such as older people, the homeless and persons with a physical, intellectual or mental health disability.

Under the CLSS, mortgage finance was provided to approved housing bodies by way of loans from the Housing Finance Agency (HFA) to meet the cost of providing social rented accommodation for low-income families. At end 2012, approved housing bodies had provided some 10,109 units of accommodation and loans to the value of around €1.4 billion had been drawn down from the HFA. The CLSS was terminated in 2009 and expenditure in respect of projects over the period 2010 to end 2012 relates to projects at construction or approved to commence construction prior to the decision to terminate the scheme.

In 2012 My Department recouped some €58 million to Local Authorities (LA’s) in respect of voluntary and co-operative projects progressed under the CAS Loan charges and management and maintenance allowances of over €68 million were recouped to LA’s in respect of accommodation provided under the CLSS. Earlier this year I announced capital allocations to local authorities under the CAS amounting to some €38.5 million. Detailed information in relation to the amounts of CAS funding recouped to each of the AHB’s across all local authorities in respect of the CAS for 2012 is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible. It is not possible at this stage to indicate the likely drawdown of CAS funding by individual AHB’s over the course of 2013.

A number of AHB’s have entered into service level agreements with local authorities for the management and maintenance of social housing units which may be either leased or owned by the relevant authority. Details of these arrangements and the numbers of properties involved are not available in my Department.

In 2012 677 units of accommodation were completed under the Capital Funding Schemes by AHB’s. Data in relation to local authority housing stock, including completion figures for the voluntary and co-operative housing programmes funded by my Department, are available on my Department’s website, www.environ.ie .

Data for the first quarter of 2013 will be available shortly. A breakdown of the numbers of units provided across all local authorities under the CAS and CLSS schemes from 1984 to end 2012 is set out in the following table: