Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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406. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the total amount of land in land banks here; and his plans for same in the coming years. [24708/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I assume the Deputy is referring to the amount of land zoned for housing. The Housing Land Availability Survey (HLAS) is an annual survey undertaken by my Department seeking information from local authorities to inform the publication of the amount of zoned residential land in their areas that is currently serviced. In 2013, my Department reviewed the HLAS approach taking account of the advent of and the need to reduce and rationalise the data gathering requirements placed on local authorities. A new internet based approach called the Residential Land Availability Survey (RLAS) is currently being finalised in conjunction with local authorities which will produce robust datasets mapped to individual land parcels across all local authorities. I expect that the final RLAS will be available by Autumn 2014 and the RLAS survey will be undertaken annually thereafter.

However, it is provisionally estimated that there is currently in excess of 25,000 hectares of undeveloped residentially zoned land nationally which equates to a capacity for over 500,000 new homes (based on a national average of 20 units per hectare). This capacity is considered to be sufficient to meet the housing requirements nationally for in excess of the next ten years. In line with the commitments under the Government’s Construction 2020 Strategy, a Housing Supply Co-ordination Task Force for Dublin has been established with an immediate focus on addressing supply-related issues.