Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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131. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of housing units that the National Asset Management Agency has approved and transferred for social housing, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40663/16]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I would firstly point out that although NAMA works closely with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Minister of State for Housing and Planning in relation to the delivery of social housing, the Agency is not responsible for approving and transferring housing units for social housing. Rather, NAMA has an established initiative of identifying properties, owned by its debtors and receivers, which may be suitable for social housing requirements. However, confirmation of demand and suitability is a matter for local authorities and is not something in which NAMA has a role.

I am advised that all relevant parties are committed to the maximum possible delivery of residential units under this important initiative. Once demand for a property has been confirmed by a local authority, NAMA facilitates contact and negotiation between its debtor or receiver and the local authority or Approved Housing Body ( AHB ) to acquire the property. Contractual arrangements can take the form of a lease or purchase. In general, purchases are completed by AHBs and the properties acquired are then made available to local authorities under a payment and availability agreement. I am advised that, as of end-September 2016, NAMA had identified 6,893 residential properties as potentially suitable for social housing. Of these, demand has been confirmed by local authorities for over 2,700 properties, of which 2,291 have been delivered for social housing use.

A detailed county by county breakdown is available on the NAMA website: .

Though NAMA is consistently mindful of identifying properties which may be suitable for social housing, the Deputy will appreciate that the pool of such properties is reducing in line with its wider portfolio.