Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent)
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832. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 636 of 27 June 2017, if the Nevin Economic Research Institute, NERI, will be a member of this expert group in view of the housing crisis and the fact that the target date for the report from the expert group to be delivered by the end of the third quarter is no later than the fourth quarter of 2017. [32959/17]

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent)
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833. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 637 of 27 June 2017 (details supplied), the scale of the cost rental agency being considered; and his views on whether it should be aiming at 10,000 to 20,000 rental units per annum on local authority lands such as St. Michael's estate in Inchicore. [32960/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 832 and 833 together.

The Strategy for the Rental Sector, published in December 2016, noted that the Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment to develop a "cost rental" option, taking account of work already completed in this area, including by the National Economic and Social Council and others.

In line with this commitment, Action 12 of the Strategy commits my Department to lead an expert group to develop a cost rental model for the Irish rental sector.  This Group will address issues such as funding mechanisms, the need to grow the necessary institutional capacity, particularly within the AHB and not-for-profit sector (whether through mergers, new entrants or strategic partnerships), rent levels, the households to be targeted and the appropriate regulation mechanisms.

The Expert Group will assess the benefits that a larger and more developed not-for-profit segment would bring to the rental sector and the housing system, by increasing supply of rental accommodation for middle-income households and ensuring new capacity is developed and attracted into Ireland.  The Expert Group will also consider various proposals, including the proposal to establish a semi-State company to progress the cost rental model, in the course of its work.

It is my intention to establish this Expert Group in the coming weeks and the development of a proposal regarding its membership and terms of reference is currently being prepared in my Department. As committed in the Rental Strategy, it is envisaged that the Expert Group will report initially before the end of the year.