Written answers

Thursday, 13 April 2017

Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Social and Affordable Housing Data

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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131. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the amount of funding provided under the capital plan for the 35,000 additional social housing units; the amount spent to date; the number of houses completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18782/17]

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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132. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the amount of funding provided under the capital plan for the 75,000 available, leasing and renting in the private rental sector to 2021; the amount spent to date; the number of houses rented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18783/17]

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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135. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the areas €2.2 billion in extra capital funding is to be spent on; if it will be spent on infrastructure or directly on houses; the number of houses expected to be delivered from this investment; when these houses are expected to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18787/17]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 131, 132 and 135 together.

The targets set out for social housing and the funding provided to support their delivery, are set out in Rebuilding Ireland, the Government’s Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, which was published in July 2016 and is available at the following link:

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Rebuilding Ireland provides for a significantly increased level of ambition over the previous Social Housing Strategy 2020 and it will see the delivery of 47,000 social housing units, through build, refurbishment, acquisitions and leasing over the period 2016 to 2021.  In addition, the schedule of rollout of the new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) as envisaged under the original Strategy was accelerated in Rebuilding Ireland. This increased ambition sees the targeted number of new households to be supported by the scheme increase to over 83,000 by 2021, with a Government commitment to the current expenditure required to meet the cost of this support over the period.

To support the implementation of Rebuilding Ireland, I have secured €5.35 billion in investment, comprising €4.5 billion in capital funding and €844 million in support of programmes funded from current expenditure.  A further €200 million is provided for the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund for investment in key enabling infrastructure to open up lands for early development.

While still at an early stage of implementation, there is already strong evidence that the focus on increasing and accelerating housing supply in Rebuilding Ireland is succeeding.  In 2016, the housing needs of over 19,000 households were met through a range of housing programmes, supported by expenditure of over €935 million.  Under the Plan, an additional €1.3 billion in funding has been provided for 2017, of which some €0.326 billion has been expended to date on both capital and current housing programmes.  This funding will support the accelerated delivery of social housing and ensure that the 2017 target to meet the needs of over 21,000 households will be achieved.

Details on the number of properties constructed, purchased and leased 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 quarter 4 of 2016 is currently being finalised and will be published shortly. 

Providing affordable, quality and accessible housing is a top priority for the Government.  Under the aegis of the Cabinet Committee on Housing, chaired by An Taoiseach, the Government and I will be keeping the implementation of Rebuilding Ireland under careful review.  The Second Quarterly Progress Report, for Quarter 4 2016, was published in February 2017, and is available at:

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The Third Quarterly Progress Report, for Quarter 1 of 2017, will be published next month.

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