Brian Walsh (Galway West, Independent)
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543. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the initiatives and funds available to local authorities in County Galway to develop social housing; if there is a budget available for these local authorities to deliver their own social housing stock, as opposed to engaging voluntary housing organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39416/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Under the Social Housing Strategy, there are substantial targets and funding resources for the delivery by local authorities of social housing, including by the two Galway authorities. In April last, I issued social housing t argets and provisional funding allocations to all local authorities, to be invested in a combination of building, buying and leasing schemes designed to accommodate 25% of those currently on the housing waiting lists. Galway City Council and Galway County Council have a combined target of 1,126 units, supported by €58.5m of investment, broken down as follows:

As the housing authorities for their areas, the Galway authorities are responsible for the detailed planning of social housing provision based on the local need. This includes working with approved housing bodies to assist in meeting the needs of those on the social housing waiting list in their administrative areas.

However, the funding I have allocated also supports local authorities’ own work in th e provision of social housing . I have announced new social housing construction projects to the value of approximately half a billion euros, including 155 new units for the Galway local authorities at a cost estimate of €25 million. Details are available on my Department’s website at the following links:

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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. The Galway authorities inform me they aim to deliver around 70 new acquisitions this year, while I am providing funding support to them to return 90 vacant social housing units to productive use.

The projects and programmes to deliver new social housing are being advanced strongly by local authorities. I am confident that by utilising all delivery mechanisms under these programmes, local authorities will continue to deliver on the ir social housing targets in line with the Social Housing Strategy.