Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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304. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the fast-track planning and procurement process used in the rapid build projects in Poppintree in Ballymun in Dublin 11. [9036/16]

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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305. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if the fast-track procurement process used for the Ballymun rapid build project could be used for standard local authority social housing new builds, where Part 8 planning permission is already in place; and if not, the reason. [9037/16]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 304 and 305 together.

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 individual housing authorities. I understand that Dublin City Council, as contracting authority for the rapid-delivery housing units intended to accommodate homeless families at Poppintree, Ballymun, availed of the accelerated restricted procedures under the relevant EU procurement directives for procurement of the units and that the Chief Executive availed of his powers under section 179(6)(b) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 for planning purposes.

The Office of Government Procurement is currently developing a Rapid Delivery Housing Procurement Framework, with a view to it being available by end-Summer. This will be available to the housing authorities in the Dublin region for the procurement of the 350 rapid delivery units identified for the region over and above the 150 units being delivered by Dublin City Council and, indeed, will be available to all local authorities nationally, should they wish to procure rapid delivery housing for pressing accommodation needs.

In late 2015, I issued a Ministerial Policy Directive, under section 29 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, to the four Dublin planning authorities. The purpose of the Directive was to remind the authorities of the statutory provisions of section 179 of the Planning and Development Act and Part 8 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2011, as amended, in relation to local authority own development and recommend that they utilise all powers available to them under these provisions for the purpose of finding solutions to the social housing situation and accelerating the delivery of social housing developments to address the pressing social housing need.