Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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129. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on stock being transferred from National Assets Management Agency to Meath and Louth County Councils respectively for social housing purposes; the way units that have been requested and provided to date; the process involved in the transferring of housing stock from NAMA to the local authorities; his views on whether the scheme is delivering in view of the fact that thousands of people are on waiting lists for provision of social housing and in light of the substantial reductions in housing capital programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39874/13]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Some 38 properties in Meath have been identified as suitable for social housing through the NAMA transfer process and are currently the subject of negotiation with a view to leasing. In Louth, 15 properties made available by NAMA were purchased by Tuath Housing Association, using the Capital Advance Leasing Facility, and became operational in September 2012.  A further 12 apartments, directly leased by Drogheda Borough Council, also became operational in September 2012. NAMA continues to work closely with my Department, the Housing Agency and with local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies in relation to the delivery of social housing. To date, NAMA has identified over 4,300 residential properties, controlled by its debtors and receivers, under this initiative as being potentially available for social housing. Demand has been confirmed by the local authorities for 1,899 of these properties with a further 291 properties currently being evaluated, bringing the total that may be deemed potentially suitable to 2,190. The local authorities have confirmed that of the properties identified, 1,359 are considered unsuitable by reference to sustainable planning and housing policy or are located in areas with no demand.  More than 800 other properties have been sold or privately let by their owners or receivers since they were identified by NAMA.

There is considerable complexity in dealing with multiple property transfers with varying degrees of difficulty attached to them. In the main, this is due to the complexities of getting agreement from multiple parties operating within an environment subject to a range of legal and financial constraints. Significant progress has been made in this context, with 296 properties having been delivered for social housing from NAMA's portfolio at the end of the second quarter of 2013, including contracts signed in respect of a further 101 properties.  This brought the overall total number of residential properties completed or committed to social housing at that point to just under 400. NAMA has recently indicated its confidence in the potential delivery of 2,000 units through this process. It will continue to be my Department's objective to maximise the delivery of social housing using all of the resources available. The next quarterly updates in relation to the delivery of NAMA sourced units will be available shortly at www.housing.ie.