John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

478. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the blockages and issues that are affecting the deadlines as set out in Rebuilding Ireland for the rapid build housing scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33461/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am not aware of any specific blockages and issues that are affecting the rapid build housing schemes. There have been significant discussions with local authorities to ramp-up rapid build delivery, which local authorities have been responding to positively and are working hard to ensure that each project is completed and occupied by tenants at the earliest possible date. 

While procurement issues had previously presented challenges for local authorities in terms of advancing rapid build housing schemes, the establishment of a framework of rapid build contractors by the Office of Government Procurement earlier this year, has meant that local authorities across the country can now run quicker procurement competitions and advance rapid build projects to site more efficiently and effectively. Indeed, my Department recently ran a workshop for all local authorities and approved housing bodies (AHBs) on rapid build issues in order to provide guidance on how to use the new framework and so as to support local authorities and AHBs to continue to roll out the rapid build programme.

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.