Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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66. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when the first bundle of social housing PPPs consisting of 677 homes and announced in October 2015 will commence; if he has had meetings with the NTMA to ensure a speedy delivery of these projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35236/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Social Housing Strategy 2020 provided for an investment with a capital value of €300 million in social housing through the public private partnership or PPP model. In total, the programme is expected to deliver 1,500 social housing units. The delivery of social housing through PPP is part of the plan to accelerate the supply of social housing, which is the second pillar of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing & Homelessness, launched in July 2016.

To enable delivery to commence as quickly as possible, the PPP programme is being rolled-out in three bundles. The first bundle, comprising six PPP sites which are to provide over 500 units in the greater Dublin area, was announced in October 2015. The social housing is being developed at these sites in co-operation with the local authorities in each area. Two of the sites are located in Dublin City with one each in South Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow and Louth.

The National Development Finance Agency (NDFA), which operates under the auspices of the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA), is acting as the procuring authority on behalf of my Department and the relevant local authorities. Dublin City Council has been appointed to act as the lead local authority for the delivery of the social housing PPP Programme in respect of this first project bundle.

These PPP projects are expected to take an estimated 37-48 months to deliver, in total. The design team for the first bundle of sites was appointed in August 2016 and the site appraisal and design development works are currently being undertaken. It is envisaged that a planning application, which will be subject to the relevant public consultation provisions, will be submitted for the sites in early 2017. Progress on the project to date is in line with the estimated delivery timescales. My Department maintains ongoing contact with the NDFA and with Dublin City Council in overseeing the delivery of the project.