Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Rebuilding Ireland has put in place the funding resources to accelerate the delivery of social housing for all local authorities. Arising from Budget 2018, I am very pleased that over €6 billion in exchequer investment has now been secured to support its implementation and to deliver an increased number of 50,000 social housing homes through build, refurbishment, acquisitions and leasing, over the period to 2021. This level of national funding to implement Rebuilding Ireland's targets means that funding is available to all local authorities to advance their housing delivery. Within the overall 21,000 social housing solutions targeted for delivery this year, some 4,500 of these will be delivered through new builds/acquisitions/refurbishments and a significant proportion of these will involve new construction.

A comprehensive status report of social housing schemes for all local authority areas, including those referred to by the Deputy, can be accessed at the following link:

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This status report covers the period up to the end of Quarter 2 of 2017 and lists almost 700 schemes or phases of schemes delivering 11,000 new social homes, their locations and a range of information relating to their advancement, including those delivered during 2016 and to the end of Quarter 2 of 2017.  It also shows those progressing through planning, design and construction. Details in respect of Quarter 3 of 2017 will be published shortly.

These 700 schemes are funded under a range of different initiatives such as local authority construction, turnkey developments, rapid delivery, regeneration programmes and construction and turnkey developments by Approved Housing Bodies.  The precise timing for the advancement of each of these projects, including completion dates and tenanting, is a matter for the relevant local authority and approved housing body concerned, in the first instance.

Further project approvals are being added to the construction programme as they are developed by local authorities and approved housing bodies, updated details of which will be published on a regular basis. I am keen that all local authorities advance their social housing projects as speedily as possible and I have assured them that funding is in place to support their activity in this regard.

In addition there are also a range of other social housing delivery methods that are being utilised alongside traditional construction, including harnessing vacant properties, purchasing suitable units from the market, and securing new properties under long-term lease agreements, the Rental Accommodation Scheme and the Housing Assistance Payment, all of which will be used to meet the 21,000 social housing solutions targeted for delivery this year.