Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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178. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on funding for social housing (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6250/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Social housing is a key priority for the Government, evidenced by the additional €2.2billion in funding announced for social housing in Budget 2015 and the publication of the Social Housing Strategy 2020in November, 2014. The total targeted provision of over 110,000 social housing units, through the delivery of 35,000 new social housing units and meeting the housing needs of some 75,000 households through the Housing Assistance Payment and Rental Accommodation Scheme, will address the needs of the 90,000 households on the housing waiting list in full, with flexibility to meet potential future demand. In committing to provide these 35,000 new social housing units, at a projected cost of €3.8 billion, the strategy marks a fresh start for social housing in Ireland.

The process of setting delivery targets on a local authority by local authority basis has commenced and the allocation of funding to local authorities, in the context of the increased funding now available, will be based on the targetsthat are set and the plans of individual authorities to deliver on those targets.

While I have no proposals to introduce schemes along the lines referred to by the Deputy, it is open to housing authorities, in the context of implementing the Social Housing Strategy 2020, to explore the potential of such schemes to meet differing housing needs, having regard to local circumstances.