Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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246. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the additional funding allocation he has received in the context of the housing crisis and the Government's commitment to increase capital spending; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19757/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Some €1.7 billion has been provided for housing services under Budgets 2015 and 2016. This has facilitated the delivery of over 13,000 social housing units in 2015, an 86% increase in unit delivery above 2014, and will deliver in excess of 17,000 social housing units this year.

To support the implementation of Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, I have secured €5.35 billion in exchequer investment to deliver 47,000 social housing units through build, refurbishment, acquisitions and leasing, over the period to 2021.

This €5.35 billion investment comprises some €4.5 billion in capital funding and €844 million in support of programmes funded from current expenditure.  In addition, €200 million is being provided for the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund through investment in key enabling infrastructure. Overall, over 40% of the available capital fiscal space for the 2017 to 2021 period is being assigned to housing.

The specific funding allocations for both capital and current housing programmes for next year will be finalised shortly in the context of the 2017 estimates process.