Brian Walsh (Galway West, Independent)
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848. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views that the €3.8 billion earmarked for the development of 35,000 social housing units is adequate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11084/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Social housing is a key priority for Government, as evidenced by the additional €2.2billion in funding announced for social housing in Budget 2015, which will assist in increasing social housing delivery, including newly built units, in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Pillar 1 of the Social Housing Strategy targets the delivery of 35,000 new social housing units over the period to 2020. The cost to the exchequer of building, acquiring, or leasing these 35,000 units under the various financing models, in place and under development, is estimated to be €3.8bn.

In order to ensure delivery of required units in the initial phase of the Strategy increased Exchequer funding is required. To this end, in 2015 Exchequer funding for social housing increased by some €210m to €800m.

Over the course of the Social Housing Strategy more sustainable off-balance sheet forms of funding will come into operation through a large scale Public Private Partnership (PPP) and a new social housing strategic fund. Under the detailed governance arrangements outlined in the Strategy, the Finance Work Stream, led by my Department and comprising representatives from all key stakeholders, is progressing the development of off balance sheet funding mechanisms.