Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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26. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which contact has been made with the local authorities in the eastern region with a view to addressing as a matter of urgency the serious deficiency in available housing stock to meet the needs of those on the respective local authority housing lists; if the exact number of applicants in these local authorities has been accurately determined; if cognisance has been taken of the rapid increase in rental costs in the private rental sector with consequent hardship on those on the waiting lists; if a particular strategy has been identified to deal with the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51879/13]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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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.

The financial parameters within which we continue to operate 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. This is now to be further supplemented by an additional €30m provided in Budget 2014 for capital expenditure on social housing. Approximately half of this investment will enable the construction of new infill developments in areas with high demand for social housing with the remainder invested in bringing long-term vacant units back into productive use. I intend to announce details shortly of these two measures with a view to having the investment programme up and running as early as possible in 2014. Budget 2014 also introduced a new €10 million fund aimed at resolving unfinished estates where no development bond exists for carrying out essential public works. An additional €10 million was also provided to augment the provision for Private Housing Grants.

In spite of the current challenging circumstances, I expect the final outcome for 2013 to be in the region of 5,000 housing units, and it is provisionally estimated that a further 5,000 units will be provided for social housing in 2014.

In relation to the increase in rents in the private rental sector, those who experience difficulties meeting the rental costs of accommodation have recourse to rental subsidy schemes should their circumstances meet the criteria for such schemes.