John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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13. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the reason for the considerable delays in accelerating and expanding the rapid build housing programme listed in Action 1.1 of Rebuilding Ireland which provided for 200 units in quarter 4 of 2016 and 800 units in 2017, in view of the fact recent replies indicate less than 200 units of accommodation under this scheme will be complete in 2016 and 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25017/17]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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My Department is committed to the accelerated delivery of social housing and is working closely with all local authorities in relation to increasing and accelerating the delivery of a range of social housing programmes and supports, including rapid build/delivery homes. 

At the end of 2016, a total of 350 rapid build homes were advancing through various stages of delivery, including construction, with 22 such homes being delivered and occupied in 2016. Over 500 rapid build homes are now advancing through the planning design, procurement and construction stages, and work is underway to ensure that a further 500 units are advanced in the coming months, bringing the number  of units in the programme to 1,000 by end year. An additional 500 units are targeted for delivery in 2018. 

The Deputy can be assured that local authorities are working to deliver the maximum number of units possible during 2017.  Of particular note is the establishment of a framework of rapid build contractors by the Office of Government Procurement, which means that local authorities across the country will be able to run quicker procurement competitions and advance rapid build projects to site more efficiently and effectively.

It is important to note that the rapid build programme needs to be viewed in the context of the wider range of social housing build, acquisition and leasing programmes, which are being advanced by local authorities and approved housing bodies (AHBs). In relation to the construction programme more generally, an updated Construction Status report was published last week showing that, at end Q1 2017, the pipeline of projects had expanded to in excess of 600 projects, involving over 10,000 units, an increase of some 1,600 units in the first quarter of the year alone. Projects continue to be added to the pipeline on a weekly basis.