Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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242. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the mechanism for applying for the CAS scheme; the total amount available in 2017 under this scheme; and the available sum for County Kildare for 2017. [21815/17]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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243. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if Kildare County Council has applied under the CAS scheme in 2017. [21816/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 242 and 243 together.

Applications to deliver new social housing under the Capital Assistance Scheme should be made by an Approved Housing Body (AHB) to the relevant local authority. As with all social housing projects, it is a matter for the local authority, as the housing authority for the area, to prioritise projects on the basis of how they meet the area's housing need.

The 2017 funding provision for the Scheme nationally is €66 million.  Financial allocations are not made to individual local authorities as funding delivery happens in line with project delivery.  There are already over 1,000 new social homes approved for construction under the Capital Assistance Scheme and funding is drawn down by the local authorities and AHBs as these projects are advanced.  As with all approved housing projects, I am keen to see them move forward and deliver the housing as quickly as possible.

So far this year, Kildare County Council has been given approval by my Department to acquire properties under the Capital Assistance Scheme for use for priority groups at various locations around the county. I anticipate other proposals will come forward from Kildare and other local authorities over the course of this year.