Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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668. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of capital social housing expenditure for social housing new builds and acquisitions and for the rental accommodation scheme that has been allocated to local authorities in 2015; and the amount that will be allocated for this purpose in 2016. [36650/15]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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669. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the amount that has been claimed by local authorities for construction of new social housing units from his Department in 2015 to date, as part of the €312 million social housing construction programme announced on 5 May 2015, that is, the euro amount in actual receipts that has been submitted by local authorities; and the amount expected to be claimed by local authorities by the end of 2015. [36651/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 668 and 669 together.

The Social Housing Strategy 2020provides a comprehensive response to the need for social housing and 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.

Social housing targets have been set for each local authority out to 2017 and these are available on my Department's website, along with the associated provisional funding allocations, at the following link: . The targets set and the funding allocated are being invested in a combination of building, buying and leasing schemes by local authorities, designed to accommodate 25% of those currently on the housing waiting lists.

The Rental Accommodation Scheme continues to provide a targeted approach to meeting long-term rental housing assistance needs through the development of medium or long-term contractual arrangements with private accommodation providers. In line with the targets set for social housing delivery, the number of additional units targeted under the Rental Accommodation Scheme nationally to 2017 is 4,000, with 2,000 of these to be provided in 2015.

Also in line with the targets, I announced a major social housing construction programme on 5 May 2015, with €312m investment covering all 31 local authorities and with over 1,700 housing units to be built. In July I announced a further investment of over €180 million to deliver over 1,100 new social housing units. This included over €150 million in approvals under the Capital Assistance Scheme which supports Approved Housing Bodies in the provision of new housing units for homeless persons, for the elderly and for people with disabilities. Details of the projects approved in May and July are available on my Department's website at the following links:.

Through the annual estimates process, Exchequer capital funding of over € 189million is available to local authorities under these initiatives this year, with a further € 48.6 million being self-funded by local authorities from Local Property Tax. To date in 2015, local authorities have drawn down almost €39 million, while a further €13.8 million has be en self-funded by local authorities from their Local Property Tax resources. In relation to the Rental Accommodation Scheme, some €135m in Exchequer funding is available this year, with a further €40m being self-funded by local authorities from built-up RAS reserves. To date in 2015, local authorities have drawn down some €69.3m in Exchequer funding while a further €5.5m has been self-funded by local authorities from those RAS reserves to date. I expect a significant amount of further funding to be drawn down by local authorities under these initiatives in the final quarter of 2015, which is traditionally the time of greatest funding drawdown by local authorities.

Delivery by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies is being closely monitored by my Department. Minister of State Coffey and I met with local authority Chief Executives and Directors of Housing recently to review progress in this regard. The local authorities indicate that the overall target of 7,000 additional social housing units in 2015 will be achieved. This will include maximising the number of vacant social housing units to be brought back into productive use this year. Last year local authorities returned 2,300 vacant units under my Department’s capital programme and I anticipate a further 2,500 such units to be made available this year to those on waiting lists.

Given the time-lag between approval and delivery in terms of construction projects, a successful programme to remediate vacant units, as well as the acquisition by local authorities of properties through turn-key developments and other purchases, are important parts of social housing delivery this year. These areas are being advanced strongly by local authorities, alongside the advancement of the construction projects that I have sanctioned this year. I am confident that by utilising all delivery mechanisms under current and capital expenditure programmes, local authorities will continue to deliver social housing targets in 2015, in line with the Social Housing Strategy.