Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Renua Ireland)
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16. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the status of the provision of new social housing in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37456/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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In April I set social housing targets for each local authority out to 2017, with the combined target for the four Dublin authorities at 6,849 units. These are being delivered through building, buying and leasing schemes by the local authorities, with an indicative funding provision of €507m. A Dublin Social Housing Delivery Taskforce has also been established to drive the implementation of the Social Housing Strategy in the Dublin region.

In May and July, I announced major social housing construction programmes valued at almost half a billion euros, covering all 31 local authorities, with 910 units for the Dublin local authorities and €178.6 million allocated. 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 the local authorities of properties through turn-key developments and other purchases, are important components of the social housing delivery programme this year. I am confident that by utilising all delivery mechanisms, the Dublin local authorities will continue to deliver on their social housing targets in line with the Social Housing Strategy.

The Government has also approved the delivery of 500 units of modular housing for homeless families across Dublin.  The first 150 units are to be delivered as quickly as possible in the Dublin City Council administrative area, with the City Council acting as the contracting authority and aiming to deliver an initial fast-tracked 22 units by December, with the remaining 128 to follow by late Q1 2016.A further 350 units will then be provided across the four Dublin local authorities through a national procurement framework overseen by the Office for Government Procurement, with expected construction on sites by mid-2016.

My Department will continue to work with the Dublin local Authorities individually and through the Dublin Social Housing Delivery Task Force to accelerate the delivery of social housing in the region.