Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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251. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of approvals that have been given to local authorities under the streamlining process for funding whereby developments of social housing with 15 units or less or of under €2 million in cost entail only a single funding submission; if he has discussed this process with local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19526/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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A new arrangement was introduced on a pilot basis in January 2016 to facilitate a further streamlining of funding approvals for social housing construction projects that have an all-in budget of less than €2m and up to 15 housing units. This new arrangement is optional and local authorities can, if they so wish, submit project costings over the course of planning for a project and avail of the standard four-stage funding approval process. The standard approval process runs in parallel to the design and planning of projects by local authorities and therefore, will continue to be a beneficial option for local authorities to avail of.

No formal proposals have been made to date by local authorities under the new single-stage approval arrangement and consequently, no approvals have issued. As part of the informal consultation that happens at technical level in the development of a new construction proposal, some local authorities are examining the use of the single-stage approval arrangement.

While it will ultimately be a choice for each local authority to make on a case by case basis as to whether they utilise the single-stage approval arrangement, I would also emphasise the actions that have been taken to improve all approval arrangements on social housing construction projects. This has included information seminars attended by over 300 staff of local authorities and approved housing bodies and additional resources assigned to my Department’s housing function.