Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

509. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if capital assistance scheme funding will continue to be made available to voluntary groups who wish to apply for same; his plans to change the nature of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45052/14]

Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

514. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if applications for CAS and CAF funding will be available in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45129/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 509 and 514 together.

Social housing is a key priority for Government, as evidenced by the increased provisions made for the area in Budget 2015. Local authorities and approved housing bodies are continuing to work on projects announced earlier this year under a national €68 million local authority housing construction programme to provide 449 new social housing units and €46 million to approved housing bodies to provide 416 social housing units for people with special housing needs.

Approved housing bodies will continue, under the Capital Assistance Scheme, to play an important role in the future delivery of accommodation for persons with specific categories of housing need, including older people, people with an intellectual, physical or mental health disability, homeless people, returning emigrants and victims of domestic violence. The target for 2015 under this Scheme is for approved housing bodies to deliver around 440 units of accommodation for people with a specific housing need. In evaluating future applications under these Schemes, priority will be given to those approved housing bodies that have demonstrated a commitment to good governance and sound management. Engaging fully with the voluntary regulation code for approved housing bodies will be a clear statement of that commitment.

The Capital Advance Leasing Facility scheme facilitates the securing of finance by approved housing bodies from sources other than the Exchequer, including from the Housing Finance Agency and private lending institutions. The scheme provides a capital equity injection which assists approved housing bodies in securing private finance. To date over €16 million has been advanced to approved housing bodies under CALF, which has supported the provision of 551 social housing units, and this delivery is expected to continue and expand in 2015.

More broadly, plans in relation to the future delivery of social housing are now being finalised as part of a new Social Housing Strategy which will contain clear, measurable 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. It will also highlight the important role of the voluntary housing sector in future social housing delivery.

The overall social housing funding provision for 2015 has been increased by in excess of €200 million, with capital funding increasing by €180 million, which will allow for significant expansion in social housing provision. The specific allocations to be provided for each of the various funding schemes and programmes will be published in the 2015 Revised Estimates Volume in December. That will include the breakdown of my Department's Social Housing Investment Programme and at that point, my Department will be working with all local authorities to agree individual allocations across all the social housing programmes.