Anthony Lawlor (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1539. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of sites currently under the remit of the Housing Agency; the number of these sites that have been fully paid for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33970/14]

Anthony Lawlor (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1595. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if the legal procedures involved in the transfer of all lands purchased by the Housing Agency from local authorities have been completed; if he will provide a list of all lands that are currently outstanding nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34637/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1539 and 1595 together.

I presume the Questions relate to the Land Aggregation Scheme (LAGS).

In total, the Housing Agency has 49 unencumbered sites in its ownership, 36 of which were transferred through the LAGS. The Housing Agency also holds 13 other unencumbered sites, which were previously held by the National Building Agency.

The LAGS was introduced in 2010 as part of revised arrangements for the funding of land for social housing purposes. A condition of the scheme requires the transfer of lands included in the scheme to the Housing Agency.

An estimated total loan value of €162m was approved for inclusion in the Scheme in respect of 73 sites in nineteen local authority areas. The figure of €162m includes €111m in respect of 47 sites, where loans which were fully redeemed by local authorities with funding recouped from my Department, under the original terms of the Scheme. The remaining €51m relates to 26 sites and is in the form of annuity loans with the Housing Finance Agency (HFA), for which local authorities are making repayments to the HFA and recouping these payments from my Department on condition that the site is fully transferred to the Housing Agency.

Currently 43, of the 73 LAGS sites have been fully transferred to the Housing Agency. Of these 43 sites, 36 were dealt with under the first iteration of the Scheme and have had their associated loans redeemed in full. Of the 30 sites still to be transferred, 14 are in the final stages of transfer, and discussions are on-going between the Housing Agency and the relevant Local Authorities regarding the transfer of the remaining 16 sites. Details of the 30 sites still to be transferred are set out in the following table.

Local Authorities were notified of the discontinuance of the Land Aggregation Scheme in 2013. The focus of the Scheme has now shifted to the management and utilisation of the lands included in the Scheme. The Housing Agency is developing a strategy for the utilisation of transferred lands, which will involve consultation with the relevant local authority and other appropriate parties. The development of this strategy is being progressed in the context of the new Social Housing Strategy, which my Department is preparing under the Government’s Construction 2020 Strategy.

LAGS Sites to be Transferred to the Housing Agency