Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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2215. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when the review on apartment construction costs will be completed; the person or body that is undertaking this survey of construction costs; when he will be making the report available to the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if it will be provided in advance of the budget. [27815/17]

Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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2216. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views on whether the housing agency should be tasked with undertaking an annual audit and publishing an annual database on average construction costs in the economy which would be more independent than those undertaken by private firms involved in the construction industry; and if not, the reason therefor. [27817/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2215 and 2216 together.

Under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Government is committed to a broad range of measures to tackle, among other things, some of the costs associated with the provision of housing, including apartments. This involves undertaking a detailed analysis, in conjunction with the construction sector, to benchmark housing delivery input costs in Ireland, in order to facilitate an increased level of housing output into the future.

A working group, chaired by my Department, with a broad range of industry representatives, has been established and has met on a number of occasions since December 2016. While it is intended that the working group will concentrate on the domestic market, the Housing Agency is currently advancing an analysis of delivery costs and international comparisons. Both studies are due for completion shortly.

Separately, my Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing and planning statistics including a House Construction Cost Index which monitors labour costs in the construction industry and the cost of building materials and can be accessed at: .