Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

770. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the constitutional barriers impeding the necessary provision of social and affordable housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6564/16]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Through the Social Housing Strategy 2020 I have put in place the necessary framework, targets, funding and staffing resources to increase the supply of social housing by 110,000 additional units by 2020. The Strategy has been supported by two successive budgets with €1.7 billion allocated to social housing in 2015 and 2016. Furthermore, sanction has been granted for 420 extra housing staff to be recruited by local authorities to work on the delivery of the Social Housing Strategy.Social housing cannot be viewed in isolation from the wider housing system. The construction, and particularly residential construction, industry in Ireland is taking time to recover from the economic downturn and consequently supply from that sector is lagging significantly behind demand. Private market housing is delivering circa 50% of the estimated annual requirement of 25,000 dwellings.

Considerations relating to private property rights under Article 43 of the Constitution did inform the basis, delivery timescale and rate set for the Vacant Site Levy introduced under the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 and similar considerations also informed the scope and shape of the package of rent stability measures I introduced through the Residential Tenancies Act 2015. All legal advices received from the Office of the Attorney General in relation to these matters are subject to legal privilege.

The Housing Actions Report, which was published today, provides further information on thirty-one major actions taken across the housing spectrum in the past twenty-one months to increase the supply of housing at affordable prices. The report is available on my Department’s website at -