Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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36. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans concerning the construction of social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34329/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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My overall plans in relation to the future delivery of social housing will be set out in the new Social Housing Strategy which is currently in preparation, with the intention that it will be considered by Government in the coming weeks. It will contain clear, measureable actions to increase the supply of social housing, based on innovative solutions that will harness new funding streams, in order to continue to protect the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our society.

In the meantime, my Department is continuing to oversee the provision of social housing for people on the housing waiting list and for homeless persons through local authorities and other providers. Overall, I expect some 6,000 social housing units to be delivered across the range of programmes this year. For 2014-2015, this includes the planned delivery of 449 new units of accommodation for people on the housing waiting list under the Local Authority housing construction programme and some 416 new homes through support for approved housing bodies for the construction and acquisition of housing for persons with specific categories of housing need.