Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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68. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his Department is considering different methods of gathering housing completion data in view of the concerns raised both by housing experts and in the media regarding the accuracy of using ESB connections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9019/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department receives detailed monthly data from the ESB on the number of connections to the electricity grid; these data have for many years been used as a proxy for house completions as units are normally connected at the point at which the unit is ready for occupation. My Department maintains regular contact with the ESB to ensure that this data set remains relevant and consistent over time. The ESB recently confirmed to the Department that the connections figure includes a small, but not easily quantified, number of re-connections to the grid where the unit was disconnected, and therefore vacant, for at least two years. Furthermore, they also confirmed that service alterations are not included in the connections figures.

My Department also produces annual estimates of the housing stock using census figures, when available, completions data and an evolving estimate for obsolescence of the housing stock. I recently published a first Monthly Housing Indicators Report which showed that there are now clear positive signs of increasing housing activity across all available indicators. This report can be found on the Rebuilding Ireland website at:

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My Department is collaborating with the CSO and ESB to identify ways of enhancing and improving the data available on changes to the housing stock to ensure that the best possible information is available to inform policy development and implementation.