Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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219. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which he has sought or received information from each local authority regarding the availability of serviced or serviceable sites on zoned or zoneable lands adjacent to towns and villages, with a view to addressing the serious and ever growing housing shortage, with particular reference to the provision of the substantial number of modular houses within the shortest possible time, thereby alleviating the distress and hardship caused to those families who find themselves without a home in current circumstances, given that no serious provision was made to address this issue for at least 15 years, thereby creating an almost total dependency on voluntary housing agencies and the private rental sector; if he will consider emergency legislation given the emerging situation affecting thousands of families and given that approximately 100,000 families were already registered on local authority housing lists some six years ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38805/15]

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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The Housing Agency, in consultation with my Department and local authorities, is updating data and developing a detailed database and GIS map of all local authority owned lands, as well as the Land Aggregation Scheme lands, showing their location, size, boundaries and other information. This map will be up-dated over the course of the Social Housing Strategy to record the development and use of these lands. Accordingly, both lands that have been transferred to the Housing Agency under the Land Aggregation Scheme and other local authority held lands suitable for housing development will be among the first sites considered in order to support the implementation of the Strategy.

With regard to the delivery of modular housing for homeless families across Dublin, Government has approved the delivery of 500 such units, the sites for which were selected by the relevant housing authorities on the basis of access to community infrastructure and services. It is intended to have the first 150 units delivered as quickly as possible in the Dublin City Council administrative area, with the City Council acting as the contracting authority.  The City Council expects the delivery of an initial 22 units by December, with a further 128 units to follow by late Quarter 1 2016 through a fast-tracked procurement process.  A further 350 units will then be provided across the four local authorities in the Dublin region through a national procurement framework overseen by the Office for Government Procurement, with expected construction on sites.

Furthermore, in 2014, my Department, in conjunction with Local Authority Planning Departments, carried out a national survey of all lands zoned for residential development in statutory local authority development plans and local area plans across Ireland. This exercise, The Residential Land Availability Study, determined the location and quantity of lands that may be regarded as being undeveloped and available for residential development purposes at 31st March 2014. The results of the survey indicated that there was 17,434 hectares of residential zoned lands nationally which could theoretically enable the construction of over 414,000 dwellings. Servicing of housing lands in terms of providing water services, energy and communications, transport, schools and community facilities and amenities involves a range of both public sector organisations and private sector companies. The Residential Land Availability Study operated at a national scale did not examine this level of detail. However, where infrastructure deficiencies exist, the local authority development plan or local area plans provide a framework for addressing such deficiencies through collaboration between the relevant authority, local communities, housing developers and relevant infrastructure providers.

In relation to housing in the Dublin Region the Government published Construction 2020 – A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sector (May, 2014) which included a commitment to establishing a Housing Supply Coordination Taskforce for Dublin with an immediate focus on addressing supply-related issues (Action 2 of the Strategy). This Task Force was convened by my Department and includes representatives of the four Dublin local authorities. The First Report of the Task Force undertook an analysis of planning applications for 20 housing units or more and concluded that across the four Dublin authorities there is land immediately available with planning permission for development of 12,785 houses and 7,925 apartments, equating to circa. 3 years supply. A further 25,507 units were deemed permissible in the immediate to short term.

A further study of these zoned residential lands by the Task Force has examined infrastructural constraints and has identified specific infrastructural interventions possible to facilitate additional housing supply in the Dublin Region. These identified infrastructural requirements are intended to form the basis of future investments by Governmental and other infrastructure providers.

I issued a draft Ministerial policy directive under section 29 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, to the four Dublin planning authorities on 29 October 2015 suggesting that they utilise all powers available to them under the provisions of section 179 of the Act, as appropriate, relating to local authority own development for the purpose of finding solutions to the urgent social housing situation presently faced and accelerating the delivery of social housing developments to address the urgent and increasing need for social housing accommodation in the region. This directive will come into effect following approval by both Houses of the Oireachtas. Thereafter, I will keep the operation of the Directive under review.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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220. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the steps he has taken, or proposes to take, to address the immediate housing crisis, which was inherited from the previous administration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38806/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I refer to the reply to Question No. 3 on today's Order Paper, which sets out the position in this matter.