Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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45. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will report on his and his Department's meetings with local authorities on the provision of housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38326/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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A clear governance structure is in place to oversee the implementation of the Social Housing Strategy. I, along with my colleague Minister of State Paudie Coffey, co-chair the high-level Oversight Group which is made up of key stakeholders including Chief Executives from local authorities.

A Project Board is in place, chaired by my Department, to lead on the implementation process and to report to the Oversight Group. There are five work streams, again headed by my Department, that lead on each of the major areas of work under the Strategy. The Project Board ensures that the overall work programme is co-ordinated and managed effectively.

In order to drive delivery and implementation of the Strategy in Dublin and Cork specific arrangements have been put in place. The four chief executives from the Dublin local authorities are members of the Dublin Social Housing Delivery Task Force and the two chief executives from the Cork local authorities are members of the Cork Social Housing Group. My Department is represented on both Groups and progress from both is reported to the Oversight Group.

There is active participation by local authority Chief Executives and/or Housing Directors of Service on all of the governance structures outlined above.

Notwithstanding the regular and structured interaction with senior management from local authorities on the implementation of the Strategy, I met with all local authority Chief Executives and Directors of Housing on 14 July and again on 30September to review progress on delivery under the Strategy and to discuss future delivery, supported by the significant increase in resources available.

The meetings provided an opportunity for a productive exchange of views and reinforced the shared commitment of central and local government to full and speedy implementation of the Social Housing Strategy, utilising all available channels of delivery.

In addition, following publication of the Strategy my Department has undertaken a number of information workshops and seminars on the Social Housing Strategywith both officials and Elected Members of local authorities.

Minister Coffey and I remain committed to working collaboratively with local authorities throughout the country and will continue to be vigilant and responsive to the challenges of delivering the ambitious targets set under the Strategy. My Department also engages regularly with local authorities, both individually and collectively, on housing issues and further engagements of this kind will continue, in support of accelerated social housing delivery.