Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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549. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will issue a ministerial order that modular homes should not be located on sites already planned for social housing such as at Belcamp Avenue in Dublin 17; if he will immediately direct local authorities to commence building on sites already planned for social housing, while also progressing modular homes in alternative local sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41617/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The Government has approved the delivery of 500 units of modular housing for homeless families across Dublin. 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 Council is aiming to secure the delivery of an initial fast-tracked 22 of these units by mid-December, with the remaining units to follow by late Q1 2016. 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. My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with the individual housing authorities and the purposes for which housing authorities may incur expenditure in addressing homelessness are prescribed in Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988. My Department has no function with regard to operational matters, such as sites selection, which are a matter for the relevant housing authorities. I am therefore not considering issuing a Direction for the purposes referred to in the Question.

Furthermore, targets for the delivery of units for social housing purposes , under both capital and current expenditure programmes, have been set for each local authority out to 2017.

There has been significant engagement between my Department and local authorities in finalising these targets and that engagement is continuing as progress on delivery is achieved.Full details of the targets are available on my Department’s website at the following weblink:

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Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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550. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his policy on housing allocation to lone parents with joint custody of children; why South Dublin County Council, Fingal County Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council have implemented policies for allocating two-bed plus homes to parents with relevant legal documentation, proving their custody arrangements, while Dublin City Council do not have such a policy; if he has addressed this discriminatory measure with the Dublin City Council; the measures he is taking to address this discriminatory handling of housing cases of separated parents; if the Dublin City Council's arrangements conform with current legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41618/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The allocation of social housing support to qualified households is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with its allocation scheme made in accordance with section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations. This legislation requires all housing authorities, as a reserved function, to make an allocation scheme determining the order of priority to be accorded in the allocation of dwellings to households qualified for social housing support, the allocation of which would, in the opinion of the authority, meet the accommodation needs and requirements of the households. As Minister, I am precluded under housing legislation from exercising any power or control in relation to any case being dealt with by a housing authority.