Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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33. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of the 20,000 new social housing units promised by 2017 his Department plans to build, to lease and to buy; the number of the remaining 15,000 promised by 2020 his Department plans to build, lease and buy; if he is satisfied with his Department's plans to lease a proportion of the planned new social housing units from private landlords; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22072/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The social housing targets that I recently announced for all local authorities out to 2017 include almost 7,500 units that will be capital-funded and 15,400 current-funded units, of which 11,400 will be delivered through leasing and 4,000 delivered through the Rental Accommodation Scheme.

From 2018 to 2020 the equivalent figures are almost 4,700 units that will be capital-funded and 14,000 current-funded units, of which 12,000 will be delivered through leasing and 2,000 delivered through the Rental Accommodation Scheme.

Local authorities are responsible for the detailed planning of social housing provision based on the needs of their areas. It is a matter for each local authority to identify the appropriate initiatives to respond to their housing need, including consideration by them of options in respect of new building developments, property acquisition, leasing and the provision of housing supports through the private rental sector.

There are a wide range of delivery mechanisms under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP). Under SHCEP, units can be acquired directly by local authorities through rental or leasing arrangements. They can also be sourced by approved housing bodies through construction, purchase or leasing arrangements and can be leased by both AHBs and local authorities from the NAMA special purpose vehicle. It is important that local authorities utilise all of the delivery mechanisms available to them under SHCEP in order to meet their targets under the Strategy. I am satisfied that there is a sufficiently broad range of delivery mechanisms under SHCEP to facilitate this.