Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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178. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of new houses, social housing, extra rental units and voids that have been repaired in Cork city and county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34376/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In response to the level of demand for social housing, the Government has identified a range of actions in order to deliver additional housing units through a variety of new-build and acquisition mechanisms, as well as leasing arrangements and tackling vacant stock.

In the case of Cork, in 2016, Cork City are on target to deliver 78 units under the acquisitions programme and 255 units under the voids programme. Cork County are on target to deliver 92 new units under the acquisitions programme and 106 units under the voids programme.

In the case of new builds, a number of social housing projects have commenced or are due to commence in the near future in both Cork City and County.

In the 9 months to the end of Q3 2016, the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) has delivered 26 new units in Cork City and 23 new units in Cork County, the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) has delivered 44 new RAS tenancies (transfers from Rent Supplement to RAS) in Cork City and 2 new tenancies in Cork County and the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme has supported 727 additional households in Cork City and 750 additional households in Cork County.

Further statistical information relating to SHCEP, HAP and RAS is available at the following link: .

My Department will be continuing to work closely with both Cork local authorities to accelerate further the delivery of social housing as part of the overall national drive to deliver 47,000 social housing units in the period of 2021, as set out in the Government’s Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness.