Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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234. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the extent to which the construction and erection of modular housing of a high quality has been perfected with a view to early impact on homelessness and local authority waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9494/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department is committed to the accelerated delivery of social housing to address homelessness and local authority waiting lists. As part of this commitment, my Department has worked closely with the Office of Government Procurement to establish a framework for the procurement of design and construction work to assist with meeting demand, efficient procurement and value for money in relation to the provision of rapid delivery housing projects. This framework is now in place and will facilitate quicker construction of social housing and therefore impact positively on the local authority waiting lists.

In relation to the Deputy’s query regarding the quality of rapid build homes, it should be noted that all rapid build homes are required to comply with the minimum standards of the Building Regulations and the requirement for key elements to have a 60 year durability, as for general social housing.