Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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257. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to introduce an affordable housing scheme for persons within certain income bands who cannot afford to buy a home privately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22052/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I have no plans at present to re-introduce an Affordable Housing Purchase Scheme because there are a range of measures being taken under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness to increase housing supply overall, with the aim of creating a functioning and sustainable housing system which can meet housing demand at more affordable prices. 

The plan is divided into five pillars, with each targeting a specific area of the housing system. Pillar 3, entitled Build More Homes, has a key objective of increasing the output of private housing to meet demand at affordable prices.

The opening up of state owned lands for the development of for mixed-tenure housing, particularly in the major urban areas, where demand is greatest, is an important policy initiative. On 27 April 2017, I published details of some 2,000 hectares of land in public ownership, which has the potential to deliver up to 50,000 homes nationally. Full details of these sites can be accessed on the Rebuilding Ireland Housing Land Map at the following link: .

I have asked all local authorities to be innovative and proactive in developing these sites. The final model for each site will be the subject of careful consideration by the local authority concerned, the elected members included, who are best placed to know and provide for the housing need in their area. Indeed, the Dublin local authorities are well advanced in bringing large-scale sites forward for mixed tenure housing, with projects advertised that can deliver circa 3,000 mixed-tenure homes in the Dublin City Council and South Dublin County Council areas alone. 

Other measures being taken to increase the supply of housing include:

- €200 million Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund;

- National Treasury Management Agency financing of large-scale “on-site” infrastructure;

- Planning Reforms;

- Putting in place a National Planning Framework and land management actions;

- Efficient design and delivery methods to lower housing delivery costs;

- Measures to support construction innovation and skills;

- The enhanced supply of more affordable starter homes in key locations through a targeted rebate of development contributions in Dublin and Cork for housing supplied under certain price levels;

- New National Apartment Planning Guidelines, reducing the cost of apartment building;

- Changes to aspects of the operation of Strategic Development Zones to enable swifter adjustments to meet market requirements;

- A vacant sites levy.

Pillar 4 of the Rebuilding Ireland Plan, entitled 'Improve the Rental Sector', provided for the introduction of an affordable rental scheme to enhance the capacity of the private rented sector to provide quality and affordable accommodation for households currently paying a disproportionate amount of disposable income on rent. Lands held by local authorities in rent pressure zones are to be brought to market on a competitive tendering basis, with a view to leveraging the value of the land to deliver the optimum number of units for rent, targeting middle income households, in mixed tenure developments.