Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

543. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of applications for funding for housing submitted to his Department this year by Galway City Council; the decisions made to date on these applications; if these applications were granted or refused; if refused, on what grounds; when decisions on the remainder of the applications will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27343/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Earlier this year, my Department received proposals from all local authorities for their planned delivery of new social housing over the next 3 years and on 5 May 2015 I announced a major social housing construction programme involving €312m of investment, comprising some 100 projects and 1,700 housing units. In the case of Galway City Council, this included Phase 1 of a new build project at Ballymoneen Road. Full details, including the individual projects, the funding allocated and the number of units to be delivered across all local authorities, are available on my Department’s website at the following linkwww.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,41340,en.htm. This was the first such announcement under the Social Housing Strategy and the projects approved were those deemed most suitable to go ahead at this time. Local authorities are continuing to submit and refine proposals in respect of their social housing construction plans and further announcements will be made as these are evaluated.

Local authorities also submitted a list of ten prioritised proposals each from sponsoring Approved Housing Bodies under the Capital Assistance Scheme at end-April. The assessment of these proposals is now being finalised and an announcement on approved projects will be made shortly.

In addition, six applications of varying scale have been submitted this year under the Social Housing Leasing Initiative by Galway City Council and Approved Housing Bodies operating within the council's area. These proposals have either been approved or are currently being assessed.

I announced targets for the delivery of social housing for all local authorities out to 2017 on 1 April last, along with provisional funding allocations. Galway City Council has been set a target of 518 social housing units, supported by €28.3m of investment. This funding is being invested in a combination of building, buying and leasing schemes by the local authorities to accommodate people on the housing waiting lists. 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 to acquire available properties, new building developments, leasing and the provision of housing supports through the private rental sector.