Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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669. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department has undertaken any analysis of the effect on rent increases in the private rental market of the scale of leasing and acquisitions by local authorities required to meet the social housing targets from 2015 to 2017, resulting in a removal of housing units from the private rental market; if he will provide the details of the analysis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15787/15]

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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The increases in rent that have been taking place in the market over the past two years, particularly in urban centres, are a result of a lack of supply. The implementation of the range of actions under the Government’s Construction 2020 strategy will support increased housing supply. New house completions in 2014 amounted to 11,016 units nationally, up 33% on the 2013 figure. In the third quarter of 2014, planning permissions were granted for 2,144 dwellings, compared with 1,409 units for the same period in 2013 - an increase of 52%. In addition, the Social Housing Strategy 2020 sets out clear, measurable 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, through the delivery of just over 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 households on the housing waiting list in full, with flexibility to meet potential future demand.

During the preparation of the Social Housing Strategy, the Housing Agency carried out an analysis of the 89,872 households recorded by local authorities as being in need of social housing as of May 2013. The purpose of the analysis was to determine the minimum number of additional residential units required to meet the needs of those households qualified for social housing support. While there is no specific analysis of the potential impact on rents as a result of leasing and acquisition activity by local authorities per se, the methodology underpinning the calculation of the 35,000 new units required took cognisance of the dynamics in the market as between tenure types.

The methodology used to estimate the number of additional properties required to meet social housing demand can be found on the Housing Agency’s website at:

. Further analysis is due to be carried out in 2015.