Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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1324. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 675 of 4 July 2017, if his Department has projected the number of affordable units on each site; the number of affordable units as requested; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34685/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The aim of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is to relieve critical infrastructural blockages in order to enable the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in urban areas with high demand for housing. It is expected that the 34 LIHAF projects will deliver 23,000 housing units over the next 4 years, with a longer-term projection of up to 70,000 units as the associated sites are fully built out.

My Department is not in a position to project the number of affordable units on each site or to require a number of affordable units, as the affordability dividend in relation to the associated private housing will be in the form of a cost reduction proportionate to the LIHAF contribution. The developer may apply a higher cost reduction to a percentage of the houses or spread it out over all of the associated housing to be provided by 2021.

Details regarding how the affordability dimension will be met in relation to each LIHAF project are not yet available as local authorities are currently engaged in negotiations with developers with regard to cost reductions. It is expected that these negotiations will be concluded this month.

In addition, under Part V provisions, some 10% of the housing to be delivered will be for social housing purposes. Where sites are in public ownership, it is possible that up to 30% of the homes provided may be for either social housing or potentially housing for older people or those with special needs, having regard to the particular needs of individual local authority areas.