Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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2182. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will clarify household eligibility for affordable housing that local authorities are to provide under the land bank plan in view of his decision not to reinstate affordable housing schemes; and the way in which local authorities are to define eligibility criteria for affordable housing. [27307/17]

Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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2183. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the eligibility criteria for affordable rental housing to be provided by local authorities under the land bank plan; and the income levels, housing need and other criteria households will have to meet in order to be considered eligible for affordable rental housing in these new schemes. [27308/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2182 and 2183 together.

As set out in the Strategy for the Rental Sector, published in December 2016, the commitment to develop an affordable rental model contained in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan is now to be progressed through kick-starting supply in rent pressure zones.  Lands held by local authorities in such 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, and in particular targeting middle-income households, in mixed-tenure developments.

In this regard, an important policy intervention in the delivery of new housing supply under Pillar 3 of Rebuilding Ireland is the development of State-owned lands for mixed-tenure housing, particularly in the major urban areas, where demand is greatest. On 27 April 2017, details of some 2,000 hectares of land in public ownership were published, with the potential to deliver up to 50,000 homes nationally.

I have asked all local authorities to be innovative and proactive in developing these sites. The final model for each site, including the affordable rental element, 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 homes in mixed-tenure developments in the Dublin City Council and South Dublin County Council areas alone. My Department is considering, in conjunction with local authorities, what national and /or local requirements should be specified in relation to eligibility.