James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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457. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if funding from LIHAF may be available to progress a second bridge over the River Liffey in Celbridge and provide some of the required infrastructure to allow the magnitude of new housing provided for in the context of the Celbridge local area plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19654/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The aim of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is to relieve critical infrastructural blockages in order to enable the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in urban areas with high demand for housing. 

A call for proposals was issued to all local authorities in August 2016. It was open to all local authorities to apply for funding towards the capital cost of public infrastructure, which, when provided, would secure the early delivery of additional housing at considerable scale and at more affordable price points, with developments in excess of 500 units in the Dublin area, or in excess of 200 units in areas outside Dublin.

21 local authorities submitted a total of 74 proposals in October 2016. Kildare County Council submitted 7 proposals in respect of Naas, Kildare, Maynooth, Newbridge, Celbridge, Leixlip and Sallins. On 28 March 2017, I announced funding for 34 projects under LIHAF. The cost of these projects is €226.46 million, of which €169.65 million will be funded by the Exchequer, with local authorities funding the remaining €56.81 million. These public infrastructure projects will be key to the delivery of 23,000 housing units over the next four years, with a longer term projection of up to 70,000 units as the selected sites are fully built out. 

Kildare County Council has received approval for the proposals at Maynooth, Naas and Sallins. The total cost of these projects is €21.43 million, of which €16.07 million will be funded by my Department with Kildare County Council providing the balance of €5.36 million. These projects are expected to deliver 1,850 housing units by 2021 and have the potential to provide 4,850 housing units in the longer term, with a strong focus on affordability.   

I am seeking additional funding for LIHAF under the  Mid-term Review of the Capital Plan 2016-2021, but it will be a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, to consider in the context of other demands for the capital funds available. In the event that more funds are secured, local authorities will be able to resubmit proposals, including in relation to Celbridge, that did not receive funding or to advance other new proposals that would meet LIHAF objectives.