Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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157. To ask the Minister for Finance the details of all empty properties and land banks in NAMA's assets that have not yet been sold; the negotiations that have taken place to acquire these homes for social and or affordable housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36299/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that, under Sections 99 and 202 of the NAMA Act, NAMA is precluded from disclosing confidential information, including information relating to debtors and the assets under their control.

I am advised that, at its recent appearance before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, NAMA stated that it holds security over approximately 4,000 residential properties and that only 72 of these – less than 2% - are vacant. I am advised by NAMA that this is considered frictional vacancy, whereby one tenant has just moved out of a property and a new tenant is preparing to occupy it.

As regards development land over which NAMA holds security, NAMA’s objective is to facilitate the delivery of 20,000 residential units by end-2020, subject to commercial viability.

From the beginning of 2014 to the end of April 2017, I am advised that over 5,300 residential units were completed with funding from NAMA. In addition, I am advised that another 9,200 units are either under construction or have obtained planning permission. Sites with a delivery capacity of another 9,500 units are either in the planning system or will be within a year. Pre-planning and feasibility work is underway on sites which have a delivery capacity for another 17,000 units.

NAMA has also played an important role in facilitating, on a commercial basis, the supply of social housing from within its existing portfolio. It has engaged extensively with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Housing Agency, local authorities and approved housing bodies in order to facilitate the delivery of social housing to the greatest extent possible given the composition of assets securing its loans.

I am advised that, to date, NAMA has identified 6,945 vacant residential properties as being potentially suitable for social housing. Through the Housing Agency, local authorities confirmed demand for 2,768 of these properties and to date, 2,398 of these properties have been delivered to both local authorities and approved housing bodies for social housing. It is important to note that confirmation of demand and suitability is a matter, not for NAMA, but for the local authorities through the Housing Agency.