Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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51. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of housing completions to date in 2017; if these figures are on target to meet his quarter one rebuilding Ireland targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16811/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, under-supply of housing across all tenures is at the heart of the significant challenges which exist in the housing sector.

The Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness of July 2016, which is available at the following link,

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It is focused on increasing supply, to achieve total housing output of at least 25,000 homes per year by 2021 and beyond, effectively doubling the output of 12,600 homes recorded in 2015.

While we are still at an early stage of implementation, there is already strong evidence that the actions underpinning Rebuilding Ireland are working. For example, the unprecedented increase in the Government’s social housing investment programme to €5.35 billion over a six-year period is already ramping up social housing supply. Last year, €935 million was invested in providing some 19,000 social housing supports.  Almost 5,300 homes were built, refurbished or acquired and some 12,000 housing assistance payment tenancies were established. In 2017, some 21,000 households will have their social housing needs met. 

With regard to the wider housing market, the ambition under Rebuilding Ireland is also to increase and accelerate the supply of homes for those who do not qualify for social housing support.  Under pillar 3 of Rebuilding Ireland, I am working across Government and with other stakeholders, using all the levers available, to activate idle sites, particularly in urban areas where demand is greatest, so as to deliver affordable, mixed tenure housing at scale.

While I am fully aware of the considerable further progress required to activate housing development sites and to increase and accelerate delivery to the scale required, the indicators are positive and the latest residential commencements and completions data show that house-building activity is continuing to grow.

Completions for the 12 month period to end January 2017 stood at 15,256 homes, an 18% increase year on year. Likewise, commencement notices for 13,334 new homes were submitted in the twelve month period to end January 2017, an increase of 44% year on year. Importantly, multi-unit developments, that is developments other than one-off houses, currently represent 69% of all housing commencements up from 60% in 2015.  My expectation is that some 18,000 homes will be completed nationally this year.

As committed to under Rebuilding Ireland, my Department has developed a monthly housing activity report, which provides monthly updates on a range of statistics.  This report is published on the Rebuilding Ireland website,www.rebuildingireland.ie.  

I believe that, through the range of actions currently being progressed through Rebuilding Ireland to increase the supply of homes across all tenures, the Government has created the conditions required for the restoration of a more sustainable and normally functioning housing market, capable of providing homes, at affordable price points to buy or rent, where and when they are needed.