Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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115. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when he will provide funding for the construction of SI houses to local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11029/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As housing authorities, local authorities are responsible for the identification of the social housing need in their area and the development of appropriate responses to the need identified. This can include the development of single rural dwellings where identified and prioritised by local authorities.

Targets in respect of social housing delivery via a combination of building, buying and leasing schemes, were set for each local authority out to 2017 and are available on my Department’s website, along with the associated provisional funding allocations, at the following link: .

Following the notification of targets, approvals for a substantial number of new social housing projects were announced in May 2015, July 2015 and January 2016. Between these three announcements, almost €680 million has been allocated for over 3,900 social housing new builds, turnkey developments and acquisitions.

I am keen that all local authorities advance these projects as soon as possible and I have assured them that funding is available to fully support their efforts in this regard. Details of these project approvals are available on my Department’s website at the following links:

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Local authorities are continuing to develop further construction schemes to deliver new social housing units and I am committed to supporting them in this regard, whether through the delivery of single rural dwellings, small to medium scale projects or larger construction schemes.