Written answers

Tuesday, 13 October 2015

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Social and Affordable Housing Provision

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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417. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the funding allocated to housing allocations for counties Longford and Westmeath, for each of the years 2008 to 2015 to date. [35658/15]

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Under my Department's Capital and Current expenditure, funding is provided to housing authorities in respect of a range of social housing initiatives. Details of expenditure under these initiatives for Westmeath and Longford County Councils for the years referred to, up to the end of the third quarter of 2015, are as follows.

Westmeath County Council

-2008

2009

2010

2011

Local Authority Housing Construction and Acquisition 15,827,034 14,123,900 6,022,684 2,249,432
Capital Assistance Scheme 1,688,610 274,5503,531,718 213,733
Remedial Works Scheme 26,452 17,811 188,051 273,517
Adaptations and Extensions to Social Housing 120,000 313,095 132,151 152,809
Returning Vacant Social Housing to Productive Use Nil Nil Nil 122,121
Energy Efficiency Insulation Measure Nil 53,104 514,491 263,195
Central Heating 19,784 810,574 Nil Nil
Compliance with New Rented Standards Nil Nil 119,895 373,537
Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People with a Disability 1,166,409 1,544,791 1,609,193 1,057,843
Rental Accommodation Scheme 880,070 1,477,868 1,772,940 2,061,900

Westmeath County Council

-2012

2013

2014

2015

Local Authority Housing Construction and Acquisition 2,916,450 531,658 2,088,810 20,478
Capital Assistance Scheme 590,314 118,647 16,431 Nil
Remedial Works Scheme 454,800 Nil Nil Nil
Adaptations and Extensions to Social Housing 102,113 237,131 87,059 49,094
Returning Vacant Social Housing to Productive Use Nil Nil 369,518 238,557
Energy Efficiency Insulation Measure 209,468 1,079,494 859,733 Nil
Central Heating Nil Nil Nil Nil
Compliance with New Rented Standards Nil Nil Nil Nil
Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People with a Disability 752,022 561,798 794,766 187,987
Rental Accommodation Scheme 1,793,833 1,905,250 1,996,489 1,710,339

Longford County Council

-2008

2009

2010

2011

Local Authority Housing Construction and Acquisition 16,495,900 12,852,409 3,820,875 758,309
Capital Assistance Scheme 2,361,772 800,690 4,054,104 802,912
Remedial Works Scheme Nil Nil Nil Nil
Adaptations and Extensions to Social Housing 154,462 Nil 140,450 155,213
Returning Vacant Social Housing to Productive Use Nil 378,298 178,994 84,050
Energy Efficiency Insulation Measure Nil Nil 294,111 304,810
Central Heating 750,000 579,600 Nil Nil
Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People with a Disability 811,005 930,069 1,108,804 929,556
Rental Accommodation Scheme 993,580 1,506,487 1,726,280 1,759,035

Longford County Council

-2012

2013

2014

2015

Local Authority Housing Construction and Acquisition 1,227,029 576,033 288,768 Nil
Capital Assistance Scheme 1,123,017 212,308 118,349 Nil
Remedial Works Scheme 220,900 1,161,776 45,711 Nil
Adaptations and Extensions to Social Housing 113,001 73,827 135,429 Nil
Returning Vacant Social Housing to Productive Use Nil Nil 313,250 Nil
Energy Efficiency Insulation Measure 206,884 1,147,820 370,286 91,473
Central Heating Nil Nil Nil Nil
Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People with a Disability 756,742 705,488 547,570 201,729
Rental Accommodation Scheme 1,441,226 1,157,357 887,897 599,029

Funding allocations to local authorities and approved housing bodies for new build and acquisition of social housing units in 2015 are based on the proposals they are implementing in line with the targets out to 2017 that I announced earlier this year. To date in 2015, some €493 million has been allocated to local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies for the construction and acquisition of over 2,900 social housing units. Full details of these projects, including those relating to Longford and Westmeath County Councils, can be found on my Department’s website at the following links:

The following link contains information on the allocations to both local authorities for 2015 under a range of social housing programmes dealing with the returning of vacant social housing to productive use, energy efficiency insulation and adaptations and extensions to social housing.

Under the Social Housing Curre nt Expenditure Programme (SHCEP - previously referred to as the leasing initiative), there are no individual local authority allocations. SHCEP payments comprise ongoing annual payments and capital advances (loans) to local authorities for approved housing bodies. Current payments commenced in 2009 while capital advances commenced in 2011. Details are set out in the table below.

Availability Payments

Year Longford Co Co Westmeath Co Co
2009 Nil 50,697
2010 9,768 170,799
2011 70,105 446,325
2012 116,234 781,022
2013 76,159 1,062,290
2014 72,135 1,323,564
2015 84,424 1,115,581

Capital Advance Leasing Facility Payments

YearLongfordCo Co

WestmeathCo Co

2009 N/A N/A
2010 N/A N/A
2011 Nil Nil
2012 Nil Nil
2013 Nil 33,204.00
2014 Nil Nil
2015 Nil Nil

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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418. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government in relation to recent proceedings at the Committee of Public Accounts, at which it was stated that 4,000 housing units which were offered in recent years to local authorities were subsequently refused by those authorities, if he will confirm the number of those houses in each of the four Dublin local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35230/15]

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Following proactive engagement between NAMA, the Housing Agency and my Department, a process has been established since late 2011 to ascertain whether residential properties made available by NAMA, through its borrowers and receivers, are suitable for social housing.  Properties that are deemed suitable may be leased or purchased by local authorities or Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) through engagement with the property owners or, on their behalf, appointed insolvency practitioners, facilitated by NAMA.

To the end of September 2015, NAMA had identified 6,574 residential properties controlled by its debtors and receivers under this initiative as being potentially available for social housing. Of this figure, 2,526 properties have a confirmed demand and are available for social housing. In respect of the 4 Dublin local authorities in particular, since the engagement with NAMA began, 2,005 residential properties have been identified by NAMA as being potentially available for social housing, and of these demand has been confirmed by the local authorities concerned in respect of 763 of these properties.

The remaining 4,048 of the total of 6,574 units identified nationally are no longer available for social housing purposes for a variety of reasons. In respect of 2,469 of the properties identified by NAMA, local authorities considered them unsuitable for social housing because of sustainable planning and housing policy issues associated the units or they were located in areas with no social housing demand.  A further 1,579 units originally identified as available for social housing were subsequently discovered by NAMA to be unavailable. 

Of the 2,526 that are available and for which local authorities have confirmed demand, 1,600 have been delivered for social housing use at the end of Q3 2015. This figure includes1,241 units that are complete and a further 359 units where contracts have been signed and final completion works are under way.  A further 486 properties are considered as being active transactions whereby terms are agreed or active negotiation is ongoing by all parties concerned or where a detailed appraisal is being carried out. An additional 440 properties are to be further appraised. Of the 1,600 units have been delivered through the NAMA process, 649 (41%) of these are situated within the 4 Dublin local authority areas.

The process of reviewing units previously deemed unsuitable by local authorities is ongoing. Local Authorities, particularly those in high demand areas, are continually reviewing the list of available NAMA properties to see if they are suitable to be brought into use as social housing.

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