Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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1308. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the legislation governing the regulation of the voluntary housing bodies and agencies; his plans to introduce a comprehensive new regulation in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34269/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Rebuilding Ireland, the Government's Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, recognises the key contribution that Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) make to the delivery of social housing. It is estimated that AHBs have the capacity to contribute around a third of the 47,000 new social housing units that are targeted over the period to 2021.

The housing delivery capacity of AHBs will need to expand greatly and they will require significantly increased external investment. AHBs that have statutorily regulated standards of governance and management capacity will be better able to access private or loan finance.

The proposed Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill and the underlying policy, which was formulated in consultation with the sector, intends to establish a statutory Regulator to oversee the effective governance, financial management and performance of voluntary and co-operative housing bodies. The Bill aims to safeguard public and private investment in the social housing provision sector, to rationalise and enable increased supply from the voluntary and co-operative housing sector and to ensure that the assets built through investments in the sector are managed sustainably. The statutory regulatory framework will provide further assurances to investors, tenants, the Government and to the sector itself that social housing providers operate in a well-regulated and stable environment.

My Department is working with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to finalise the text of the Bill for publication as soon as possible. I had hoped that the Bill would be published during this current Dáil session. However, the complex nature of some of the issues related to transitioning from voluntary to statutory regulation has required additional time. Nothwithstanding this, I expect the Bill to be published in time for early consideration in the Autumn Oireachtas Session. Until such time as the legislation is enacted and the statutory system of regulation is put in place, the interim regulatory arrangements in operation since 2014 will remain in place.