Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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155. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the efforts made by various local authorities in Dublin and adjoining counties to provide modular homes to meet the immediate housing crisis of those who find themselves homeless; if a programme can be developed to ensure that families about to become homeless in a subsequent three month period might be provided with an emergency or modular home at a convenient location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17338/17]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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157. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of housing starts currently under way by the various local authorities in Dublin and immediately adjoining counties; when it is expected such houses are likely to be available for occupation in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17340/17]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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161. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the extent to which the local authorities in Dublin and immediately adjoining counties have proposals in hand to facilitate an accelerated housing programme to meet the rapidly emerging needs of the population arising from the existing size of the local authority housing register and the demand for private houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17344/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 155, 157 and 161 together.

The publication of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness has seen a new level of ambition in respect of tackling the challenges in the housing sector and I am confident it represents a well-judged and comprehensive response to the urgent need for social housing and to respond to the need for an significant increase in housing supply generally.

To support the ambitious target of 47,000 new social housing units, I have secured €5.35 billion in exchequer investment over the period to 2021. This comprises some €4.5 billion in capital funding and €844 million in support of programmes funded from current expenditure.

Under Pillar 2 of Rebuilding Ireland, my Department is working closely with all local authorities in relation to increasing and accelerating the delivery of a range of social housing programmes and supports, including rapid build homes.

At the end of 2016, across all four Dublin Local Authorities, a total of 350 rapid build homes were advancing through various stages of delivery, including construction, with 22 rapid build homes being delivered and occupied in 2016. A further 650 rapid build homes will be advanced in 2017, with another 500 units to be delivered in 2018. Sites for rapid build schemes are currently being identified in Louth, Wicklow, Kildare, Meath, Cork, Waterford, Galway and Limerick.

There has been significant pressure to ramp-up rapid build delivery, which local authorities have been responding to positively. Of particular note is the establishment of a framework of rapid build contractors by the Office of Government Procurement, which means that local authorities across the country will be able to run quicker procurement competitions and advance rapid build projects to site more efficiently and effectively.

My Department has published a comprehensive status list of all social housing construction schemes that are advancing nationwide, as at end-Quarter 4 of 2016. Over 500 approved schemes were listed that, when completed, will deliver some 8,500 new social homes. The schemes listed range from those that are being designed, through to those currently on site and those completed in 2016. It showed that just over 650 new social houses were built in 2016 and a further 90 schemes, delivering over 1,800 newly built social houses, went on site last year. I have also continued to approve further schemes which will add to the already strong pipeline. The status list is available on the Rebuilding Ireland website at the following link:

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Other actions are underway by local authorities to respond to housing need and meet the needs of homeless people within their areas. These include targeted acquisitions, the new Repair and Leasing initiative and the range of current funded programmes, such as the Rental Accommodation Scheme, Housing Assistance Payment and various leasing arrangements under my Department’s Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme. Again, properties sourced under these programmes are used to accommodate persons on the local authority housing waiting lists, including those in emergency accommodation or at risk of homelessness.

While the construction programme is being advanced, I have also strongly supported local authorities in the acquisition of new and previously owned houses/apartments. In 2016, I provided over €175 million to local authorities for such acquisitions and these approaches are delivering early solutions for people in need of social housing.

Details on the number of properties constructed and purchased by all local authorities for letting to those on their social housing waiting lists are available on my Department’s website at the following link:

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Information on the full year of 2016 is currently being finalised and will be published shortly.

The results of the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments carried out in 2016 show that there were 91,600 households on local authority housing waiting lists as at 21 September 2016. This figure represents an increase of 1,728 households, or 1.9%, on the 89,872 households recorded in the last summary which was carried out in May 2013. The results of the 2016 Summary are available on my Department’s website at the following link:

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In line with the commitment under Social Housing Strategy 2020, statutory summaries of social housing assessments are now being carried out on an annual basis, rather than every three years as was the case in the past. These regular summaries will provide up-to-date and comprehensive data on the numbers of households qualified for social housing support on an on-going basis and will ensure that social housing supports delivered continue to match the variable profile of those in need.

While a very significant amount of work has been carried out since the publication of Rebuilding Ireland in July 2016, I recognise the significant further progress required to activate additional housing development sites and accelerate delivery, increasing supply to the scale required, i.e. 25,000 homes per annum by 2021. The indicators, however, 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 12-month period to end January 2017, an increase of 44% year on year. Importantly, multi-unit developments (i.e. 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.

Building on the early actions taken to make affordable housing more viable through re-affirming apartment guidelines and reforming the development contribution regime, a number of other actions are underway to make residential property delivery viable, at a far greater scale, and at more generally affordable prices and rents. For example, the announcement, on 28 March 2017, of €226 million funding for housing infrastructure on 34 high-impact sites, through the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF), will act at the catalyst for the delivery of  some 23,000 homes by 2021 and an overall figure of up to 70,000 homes in the next ten to fifteen years in areas of greatest supply constraints. Details of the projects approved under LIHAF, including those located in the four Dublin local authority areas and in Louth, Meath and Kildare County Councils, can be accessed at the following link: .

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