Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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214. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of house purchases or new house starts approved by his Department in respect of County Kildare in the past 12 months, having regard to the increase in homelessness, rapidly increasing rents, and the numbers on the local authority housing waiting lists; if cognisance is being taken of the worsening situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22910/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Under my Department's Social Housing Capital Investment Programme, funding is provided to housing authorities to increase their supply of social housing stock through the construction and acquisition of houses and apartments. In 2014 Kildare County Council was approved to advance construction projects at Kilcock for 20 units and at Athy, for the replacement of 10 derelict units. Under my Department's Capital Assistance Scheme, projects were approved for the Council in May 2014 for the purchase of 28 units of accommodation by Dublin Simon Community in Newbridge and Naas, and for the construction of 4 units of accommodation by KARE Voluntary Housing Body at Naas for disabled persons at an estimated cost of €0.63m.

The Council also received funding in 2014 from my Department for the purchase of 13 properties at various locations in the county, at a cost of €2.68m.

Since the launch of the Social Housing Strategy, I announced delivery targets and provisional funding allocations for all local authorities out to 2017. The overall delivery target for Kildare County Council is 1,283 units for that period, with a provisional funding allocation of almost €87m.

Following that target setting process, on 5 May I announced a major social housing construction programme with €312m investment, covering all 31 local authorities and with over 1,700 housing units to be built across some 100 separate projects. That announcement followed proposals made by local authorities on their planned delivery of new social housing units out to 2017. For Kildare County Council, this included approval for the construction of 29 units at Bishopsland, 18 units at Rathangan and 10 units at Prosperous. Details are available on my Department's website at

This was the first such announcement under the Social Housing Strategy and further announcements will be made as local authority proposals for the delivery of social housing units are evaluated.

In their planned delivery of new social housing units out to 2017, Kildare County Council has proposed the acquisition of some new social housing units through various means in 2015, including under Part V provisions. Specific proposals from the Council are being assessed by my Department and a decision on these will be provided shortly.

Data in relation to all social housing units acquired or developed to date by local authorities, including Kildare County Council, are published on my Department's website at the following link: