Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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31. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of housing units his Department expects to approve in 2017; if he will increase the availability of social and affordable housing, with specific reference to Dublin Fingal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17094/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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To support the implementation of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, I have secured €5.35 billion in Exchequer investment to deliver 47,000 social housing units through build, refurbishment, acquisitions and leasing, over the period 2016 to 2021. This €5.35 billion investment comprises some €4.5 billion in capital funding and €844 million in support of programmes funded from current expenditure. In addition, €200 million is being provided for the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund through investment in key enabling infrastructure.

I have previously acknowledged the good start made on social housing delivery with 13,000 households' needs met in 2015 and over 19,000 in 2016, but my ambition is that the delivery of social housing will continue to be accelerated and that the target set of 21,000 units (through various delivery methods) for 2017 will be fully achieved.

With reference to Fingal, to date in 2017 alone, I have approved two construction projects totalling 54 units and one turnkey proposal providing 11 units. In addition, I understand that Fingal County Council are currently preparing to submit further proposals to my Department and those will be considered without delay. Furthermore, taking account of the outcome of the results of the Statutory Social Housing Assessments carried out in 2016, I expect to outline new targets for social housing delivery for all local authorities later in Q2 this year.