Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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1636. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the progress that has been made on the commitment in the programme for Government to initiate an affordable housing scheme. [35362/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for a Partnership Governmentcontains a commitment to develop a "cost rental" housing option, taking account of work already completed in this area, including by NESC and others.

Action 12 of the Strategy for the Rental Sector, published in December 2016, (which can be accessed at: ), provides that my Department will establish and lead an expert group to develop a cost rental model for the Irish rental sector, addressing issues such as funding mechanisms; the need to grow the necessary institutional capacity, particularly within the Approved Housing Body and not-for-profit sector (whether through mergers, new entrants or strategic partnerships); the households to be targeted; and the appropriate regulation mechanisms.

The Cost Rental Expert Group will assess the benefits that a larger and more developed not-for-profit segment could bring to the rental sector and the housing system, and examine the feasibility and effectiveness of different approaches to achieve the desired change. A proposal to establish the Expert Group, including membership and terms of reference, is currently being prepared in my Department.

More generally, the Government recognises the housing affordability pressures faced by many households, particularly in certain parts of the country. It is for this reason that the overarching objective of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness(July 2016) is to increase the supply of new homes to 25,000 per annum by 2020. In particular, the aim is to increase the supply of high quality homes at more affordable price points, as quickly as possible, in areas where demand is greatest. A copy of Rebuilding Ireland can be accessed here: .

In addition, as set out in the Strategy for the Rental Sector, the commitment to develop an affordable rental model, originally contained in Rebuilding Ireland, is now being progressed by local authorities in designated Rent Pressure Zones. In this regard, Dublin City Council and the Housing Agency, in partnership with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, have developed detailed proposals for specific sites that they control in Dublin. My Department is currently working through those proposals with the project sponsors.

On 27 April 2017, details of some 1,700 hectares of land in local authority and Housing Agency ownership were published on the Rebuilding Ireland Housing Land Map, with the potential to deliver some 42,500 homes nationally. These sites can be viewed here: .

All local authorities have been requested to prepare Strategic Development and Management Plans for their lands by 30 September. The final model for bringing forward these lands for housing, including an affordable rental element where appropriate, will be informed by the outcome of the consideration of the aforementioned initial pathfinder sites in Dublin.

Finally, as part of the targeted review of Rebuilding Ireland, my Department is examining the broader issue of housing affordability. Again, the outcome of the consideration of the specific proposals referred to above will be factored into that review process and my Department will also be consulting with local authorities. In this regard, as part of the review, my Department is conducting a public consultation to facilitate members of the public and interested parties to provide their opinions and suggestions on the issue. Details of the public consultation, which is open for submissions until 11 August 2017, can be accessed at the following link: .