Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

97. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the various conditions that the owners of land banks must adhere to if their lands benefit from the provision of roads to facilitate the construction of houses under the strategic infrastructure fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36526/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The aim of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund is to relieve critical infrastructural blockages to enable the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites and to improve the economic viability of new housing projects in Dublin and in urban areas of high demand for housing. The €200 million Fund will be composed of an Exchequer allocation of €150 million, matched by a €50 million contribution from participating local authorities.

A call for proposals under the fund was issued to local authorities on 26 August, with a closing date for receipt of proposals of 14 October. It was open to all local authorities, working in conjunction with housing providers, including private developers and home builders, to apply with funding in line with the detailed criteria set out in the call for proposals.

The funding will be allocated to local authorities on the basis of this competitive bid process. The viability of the applications is currently being examined in detail against the assessment criteria as set out in the call for proposals, with a focus on the level of funding required and what it might leverage, the number of housing units that could be delivered, their strategic location and speed of delivery, and affordability levels of a proportion of the homes.

This assessment process is ongoing at present. Once allocations are approved, the drawdown of funding by local authorities will be subject to conditions as set down by my Department, including adherence to the Public Spending Code. I intend to make initial announcements for successful smaller-scale projects in mid-December with a second phase announcement in the first quarter of 2017 for those project bids requiring more detailed financial appraisals.