Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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1096. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details of the new Part V regime for developers, including the percentage of homes they build which must be given over to local authorities; any stipulation on size of homes; if they can be apartments or houses; if developers can deliver all homes in one development, even if they have a number of separate developments; and if developers can pay money in lieu of houses. [22385/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Informed by a recent review of the provisions of Part V of the Planning and Development Acts, which included a public consultation process, proposed legislative changes have been set out in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015which was published on 5 June 2015 and is available on my Department's website at: .

The Bill provides that, in future, the focus of Part V will be on the delivery of completed housing units, with a requirement for up to 10% social and affordable housing in developments of 10 or more units.

Due to the urgent need for social housing provision, it is essential that Government places the current focus of Part V agreements entirely on social housing output. In order to provide for the acute social housing need, and to maximise the contribution that Part V can make, it is my intention to issue a statutory Ministerial Policy Directive under section 29 of the Planning and Development Acts following enactment of the Bill, under which the primary focus of Part V will be on social housing delivery.

Sections 33 and 34 of the Bill will amend the options, contained in section 96 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, for the delivery of units within a Part V agreement in order to maximise the transfer of completed housing units. The transfer of land remains the default option, as is currently the case. However, the option of providing cash payment in lieu of housing is being removed, as is the option of providing sites or land elsewhere.

The transfer of completed units on other land, not subject to the planning permission, is also provided for. This allows social housing units to be delivered in another location, in the event that the development that is the subject of the planning permission does not meet the social housing or mixed tenure needs of the local authority. Provision is also made for the Part V obligation to be fulfilled by developers through long term leasing of properties and rental accommodation availability agreements.

As is currently the case, in entering Part V agreements local authorities should have regard to section 96(3)(c) of the Planning and Development Act 2000. This requires local authorities to consider, amongst other things:

- the effective and efficient achievement of the objectives of the local authority's own housing strategy;

- the best use of resources to ensure an adequate supply of housing and the financial implications of the agreement.

In essence, local authorities should consider value for money in the making of any agreements. In this regard, expenditure limits and house purchase cost limits are currently under review.

The changes to the Part V provisions that are proposed are a key component of the range of delivery mechanisms that will be required to achieve the targets set out in the Government's Social Housing Strategy 2020. Subject to the availability of Oireachtas time, I hope that the Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015 will be enacted before the Summer recess.