Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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212. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he is satisfied with the availability of housing through the National Asset Management Agency for local authority housing applicants who may be able to access such accommodation by way of private rental arrangement, rent support or housing assistance payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44609/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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My Department is working closely with the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) to ensure that all opportunities to identify and secure housing units for social housing use are maximised. To the end of September 2015, a total of 1,600 NAMA residential properties had been delivered for social housing use, comprising 1,241 completed properties and a further 359 that have been contracted and where completion work is on-going. A further 486 properties are considered as being active transactions whereby terms are agreed or active negotiation is on-going. An additional 440 properties are to be further appraised. Overall, I expect that initiative will result in over 2,000 units being made available for social housing purposes. In addition, NAMA expects to fund the construction of up to 20,000 new residential units, predominantly in Dublin and the neighbouring counties of Wicklow, Kildare and Meath, over the next five years.  This will In line with residential planning and regulatory requirements, developments funded by NAMA are subject to policy relating to Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000. As such, I expect 10% of the output of this investment by NAMA, or about 2,000 units, to become available for social housing.

Given the vital importance of ensuring that, for social and economic reasons, new residential supply is delivered as quickly as possible, NAMA will work closely with local authorities and with utilities to ensure that all relevant bodies co-operate effectively to deliver the programme.

Information on NAMA social housing programme is available on the website of the Housing Agency at /NAMA.