Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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254. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the length of time it takes for his Department to complete and make the necessary payment to a local authority in respect of property purchased under the Part V condition of a planning application and on receipt of the application from the respective local authority. [19542/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Part V provisions are a key component of the range of delivery mechanisms required to achieve the targets set out in the Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020. One of the objectives of the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 is to streamline and enhance the operation of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 and increase the level of social housing provided as an integral part of new housing developments. Under these revised arrangements, there are a number of options open to a planning applicant and a local authority in agreeing arrangements to fulfil a Part V obligation:

- the transfer of ownership of land, subject to the planning permission application, to a local authority for the provision of social housing;

- the building and transfer of ownership to the local authority, or persons nominated, of completed social housing units on the land, subject to the planning permission application;

- the transfer of ownership to the local authority, or persons nominated, of completed social housing units on other land, not subject to the planning permission;

- a long term leasing arrangement; and

- a combination of these options above is also permitted.

In the case of purchases of social housing units funded by my Department, payment is made on completion of the standard drawdown request submitted by a local authority. My Department is in ongoing contact with individual local authorities in respect of their social housing delivery arrangements and funding requirements.