Written answers

Wednesday, 9 November 2016

Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Local Authority Housing Provision

Photo of Noel GrealishNoel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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116. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the reason, at a time when he says priority is being given to the building of houses to meet the huge need for social and other accommodation, officials from his Department have effectively stalled the building of 55 houses by Galway City Council in the Ballymoneen Road, Knocknacarra area of Galway city by instructing the council to review the possibility of building an additional five houses in the development, the effect being to further delay a development for which the council had been given verbal indication that approval was imminent almost a year ago; when he expects this development to be given approval; when construction will begin; when the houses will be completed; the other housing projects that are in the pipeline for Galway City Council and Galway County Council, including their locations and timetables of their progress; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33984/16]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Funding approval is already in place from my Department for the construction by Galway City Council of a total of 69 new social houses at Ballymoneen Road at an estimated cost of over €14 million. I understand that the first phase of this project to deliver 14 new houses is scheduled to commence on site shortly, while the second phase to deliver a minimum of 55 houses is at design stage. As with all social housing proposals, there is an onus on the local authority and on my Department to ensure best value for money and a reasonable density within the development to meet respond to social housing need. Accordingly, contacts between my Department and Galway City Council have included the consideration of options in relation to the density and design for this development, but such considerations should not delay advancement of the project. I have assured all local authorities that funding is available to support them in the early advancement of new social housing projects. With funding approval already in place, I am particularly keen to see the phases of the project at Ballymoneen Road advanced as quickly as possible, with the precise dates for completion being a matter for Galway City Council.

More broadly on social housing across Galway City Council and Galway County Council, both local authorities were notified of social housing targets and provisional funding allocations in April 2015; these are available on my Department’s website at the following link: .

The two Galway authorities have a combined target of 1,126 social housing units for the period out to 2017, supported by an allocation of €58.5 million, to be invested in a combination of building, buying and leasing schemes.

Following the notification of these targets, approvals for a substantial number of new social housing projects were announced in May 2015, July 2015 and January 2016. These three announcements included over 270 units of accommodation in respect of Galway, supported by investment of some € 44.3 million, details of which are available on my Department’s website at the following links:

In addition, a project to deliver 73 new social housing units at Ballyburke in Galway is amongst over 450 new units that are part of bundle 2 of the social housing Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme. I announced the eight sites in bundle 2 in co-operation with the local authorities in each area in July 2016 and the projects have a capital value of approximately €100 million, as part of a programme of investment totalling €300 million in social housing through the PPP model that will, overall, deliver 1,500 social housing units. All of these projects are now undergoing planning and development work by the local authorities and, as with all social housing projects. I am keen to see them advanced as soon as possible.

With the projects already in the pipeline for both Galway Councils, and given the measures set out in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, l anticipate a ramping up in terms of social housing construction activity over the next year. While social housing construction projects are being advanced, acquisitions of new and second-hand houses and apartments remain an effective means of meeting immediate social housing need. This year, the Galway Councils are looking to purchase around 40 housing units for social housing purposes, while they have also continued to receive substantial support from my Department to remediate vacant social homes and make them available to those on the waiting list.

Support is also provided by my Department to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) under the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) for the delivery of new social housing. This funding approach is being used to support the acquisition of 165 units by four AHBs in Galway City and County. Delivery is contingent on AHBs securing the balance of funding required from either private finance or other borrowings. If successful, it is anticipated that 69 of these units will be delivered by the end of 2016, a further 92 in 2017 and the final 4 in early 2018. Locations include Roscam, Ballinasloe, Ballymoneen Rd, Doughiska, Spiddal and Tuam.

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