Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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718. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of persons currently on the various local authority housing lists; the extent to which rent increases are making it impossible for such families to exist, or to remain in their homes; if urgent provision may be made to meet their requirements, thus preventing a rapid escalation in homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29669/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The latest summary of social housing assessments, which was carried out as of 7 May 2013, showed that there were 89,872 households on local authority waiting lists at that date. The 2013 figures are the most up-to-date figures available on waiting list numbers, which are subject to on-going fluctuation due to households being allocated housing and new households applying for housing support. The full 2013 results are available on my Department’s website at: www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad,34857,en.pdf

In order to ensure that the most up to date and comprehensive data is available on an on-going basis relating to the numbers applying for social housing support, the Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020, published in November 2014, includes a number of actions to standardise assessment and increase the regularity of assessments including undertaking the summary of social housing assessments on an annual basis from 2016 onwards.

The Government’s Social Housing Strategy targets the provision of over 110,000 social housing units to 2020, through the delivery of 35,000 new social housing units and meeting the housing needs of some 75,000 households through the Housing Assistance Payment and Rental Accommodation Scheme. This will address the needs of the 90,000 households on the housing waiting list in full, with flexibility to meet potential future demand.

I have set ambitious targets for local authorities for the period 2015 – 2017 in my announcement on 1 April 2015, with an investment of €1.5 billion in a combination of building, purchase and leasing schemes which will accommodate 25% of those currently on the social housing waiting lists. On 5 May 2015, I announced funding of €312 million which covered some 100 separate housing projects, providing 1,700 units of accommodation across all 31 local authorities. I will be making further announcements in the coming weeks and months.

Ultimately, a shortage of supply is at the heart of rising rents and the Government is addressing this on a number of fronts. Construction 2020: A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sector, published last year, is aimed at addressing bottlenecks that might impede the construction sector in meeting demand. My Department is leading on a range of actions under Construction 2020, including two significant pieces of planning legislation, one of which - the Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill - is currently progressing through the Oireachtas.

My overriding objective in relation to rents is to achieve stability and sustainability in the market for the benefit of tenants, landlords and society as a whole. The regulation of rent raises many complex economic and legal issues and I have to be satisfied that any measures proposed are balanced and have the desired effect on the rental market while being fair to landlords and tenants alike. Ultimately, any decision in relation to rent certainty is a matter for Government and it is my intention to bring proposals to Government for consideration as soon as the necessary preparatory work has been completed.