Written answers

Thursday, 13 July 2017

Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Social and Affordable Housing

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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17. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the way in which his Department is progressing the affordable housing scheme which was agreed as part of the Poolbeg LAP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33395/17]

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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In May 2016, the Government designated Poolbeg West as a Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) because of its potential to deliver a large proportion of the extra homes needed in the centre of Dublin.

The next step in realising the potential of the SDZ was the publication for consultation by Dublin City Council of a detailed planning scheme for the area.  The Council prepared a draft planning scheme which was considered by their elected members in May 2017.  In its role as a statutory consultee for that process, my Department highlighted the importance of the planning scheme addressing a variety of housing needs, including social housing and those of other households seeking to accommodate themselves through private housing.

On this basis, the Council proposed a material amendment to the Planning Scheme in relation to the social/affordable, mixed-tenure housing, details of which were on display until yesterday. As a statutory consultee, my Department made further observations in this regard.

On foot of the proposed material amendment, 900 of 3,500 new homes on the SDZ lands will be delivered as social/affordable units. The arrangements proposed as part of the planning scheme are not part of any new national affordable housing scheme but were developed in response to the specific context of the SDZ.

Of the 900 units referred to, 350 (10% of the overall total) will be delivered as social housing in accordance with the provisions of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). It is intended that an agreement, with confirmed funding, will be entered into between the City Council , the receiver and my Department, prior to commencement of development, for a further 550 new homes, the majority of which will be housing earmarked for affordable rental, with the balance provided as social housing with a particular focus on housing for older people. 

While the progression of the Planning Scheme is ultimately a matter for Dublin City Council, I am committed to working with the Council to deliver these social and affordable units on what is a key site for the sustainable development of Dublin City.

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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18. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will define affordable housing in terms of household income in his Department's plans such as the local infrastructure housing activation fund or the land bank plan; and the way in which he plans to ensure housing units delivered under these plans will be below affordable price points. [33403/17]

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The cost of housing, and its affordability for a particular household, is a key issue and one that has been the subject of considerable focus in many countries. While there is no universally ideal price/rent to income ratio or minimum residual income requirement there is broad agreement that ideally households should be spending no more than a third of their income on housing costs over the longer term.

In terms of housing more broadly, a suite of measures have been taken to make housing construction viable at more affordable price points, including the €226m local infrastructure housing activation fund; leveraging the value of State-owned lands to deliver a more affordable rental offering in Rent Pressure Zones; streamlined planning systems for housing developments; and other planning reforms to provide flexibility to deliver viable housing schemes and apartment developments in the right locations.

On 27 April, details of some 1,500 hectares of land in local authority and housing agency ownership were published on the Rebuilding Ireland Housing Land Map, with the potential to deliver 37,500 homes nationally. All local authorities have been requested to prepare Strategic Development and Management Plans for the earliest possible development of their lands.  The final model for each site will be formulated in the context of these Plans but, in practice, it will include proposals for social housing and housing at more affordable prices and rents.  

In the case of LIHAF, the aim is to ensure that an affordability return is secured for the investment in public infrastructure involved. Again, with a wide range of funding being provided for very different sites, involving varying scales of housing delivery, it will be for each local authority to conclude an agreement with the housing providers involved on the particular approach to be taken to secure the affordability dividend in each individual case, taking account of the circulars issued by my Department.

I have initiated a targeted review of Rebuilding Ireland, with an emphasis on strengthening the measures already in place and identifying new initiatives that add value and raise ambition.  As part of this review process, which I intend to conclude by September, I have asked my Department to focus in particular on the broad issue of housing affordability and how we can facilitate more households to access the housing of their choice.

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