Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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92. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a detailed report on his Department’s plans in respect of social housing provision for 2015; and the number of units to be delivered through direct construction by local authorities, through acquisitions by local authorities, through the use of the rental accommodation scheme, and from increased uptake with the roll-out of the housing assistance payment. [45866/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The Social Housing Strategy 2020 , approved by Government and published last week, builds on the provisions contained in Budget 2015 and sets out clear, measureable actions and targets to increase the supply of social housing, reform delivery arrangements and meet the housing needs of all households on the housing list. The total targeted provision of over 110,000 social housing units will address the needs of the 90,000 on the housing waiting list in full, with flexibility to meet potential future demand. The strategy provides a clear governance structure, which as Minister I will personally oversee, to ensure delivery of all actions. Action 1 of the Strategy requires the agreement of targets for delivery of social housing next year and in subsequent years. These specific targets will be agreed through the governance structure, in collaboration with local authorities and with input from the approved housing body sector.

The specific funding to be provided in 2015 across all the various schemes and programmes will shortly be published in the 2 015 Revised Estimates Volume. However, I expect that 7,400 new social housing units will be provided under the range of existing initiatives, broken down as follows: 3,000 units will be provided through the leasing initiative; 2,000 new Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) units will be delivered; 1,000 vacant local authority units will be returned to use through a programme of refurbishment; with a further 1,400 units to be built or acquired by local authorities and approved housing bodies through the Social Housing Investment Programme and the Capital Assistance Scheme. In addition, a further 8,400 households will be assisted through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).