Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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607. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government how the much-mentioned €185,000 cost of building a social house has been reached; the measures being taken to reduce this cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25783/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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My Department is currently reviewing the unit cost ceilings for the construction of dwellings to be used for social housing. When finalised they will be notified to the local authorities. As a guide, in May 2015 the first phase of construction projects under the Social Housing Strategy was announced. Overall, there were 100 building projects delivering over 1,700 units of accommodation, varying in size from single bedroom to four bedroom units, with an estimated cost of €312.6 million, which gives an overall average cost of €178,262 per unit of accommodation. It should be borne in mind that these are pre-tender estimated costs, which may fluctuate following tender stage.

In relation to the cost of social housing developments, all such proposals are assessed by my Department based on the guidance set out in my Department’s publication Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities, which emphasises cost control and value for money as key elements.