Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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659. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the steps his Department has taken to increase the amount invested in further acquisitions for additional social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31133/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The acquisition of new and previously-owned houses and apartments through my Department’s Social Housing Investment Programme has been a feature of delivery over the last several years of new social housing for those on the waiting lists. Delivery of social housing through acquisitions has increased in recent years in line with the Government commitment to accelerate the overall delivery of social housing through some €3 billion provided over the period 2015-2017.

Building on this investment, the funding framework for the implementation of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness provides €5.35 billion in investment to deliver 47,000 social housing units through build, refurbishment, acquisitions and leasing, over the period to 2021.

While statistics for acquisitions completed in 2016 are being finalised, it is estimated that almost 2,000 houses and apartments were purchased by both local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) for social housing use last year. Further significant acquisitions will be made this year, including through the allocation of €70m for the Housing Agency to establish a revolving fund to acquire some 1,600 units over the period to 2020 for social housing use. The fund will be replenished by the Agency through the sale of units primarily to the AHB sector.

Acquisition of new and previously-owned houses and apartments has resulted in important early delivery of social housing. However, it is important that this activity is carried out with due regard to the impact it has on the local housing market. This principle is set out in the funding arrangements put in place by my Department for local authorities and AHBs in respect of social housing acquisitions. Also emphasised in these arrangements are that the acquisitions approach for new social housing should reflect the importance of mixed tenure, should not be overly-concentrated in any particular location, should represent reasonable value-for-money and that newly-acquired properties must comply with statutory building and fire safety regulations.