Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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610. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of houses to be delivered in each of the 18 sites for which LIHAF contracts have been signed; and the number of houses on each site that will be sold at price bands (details supplied). [43836/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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34 projects, at a total cost of €226 million, received preliminary approval for funding under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) and these have the potential to provide an estimated 23,000 new homes across the country by 2021. Local authorities were allowed to proceed to design phase on all of the projects, pending final approval and sign-off of a grant agreement between the Department and Local Authorities.

I have already given final approval for the first tranche of 22 of the 34 infrastructure projects which will activate supply of approximately 11,880 housing units.  Grant agreements in respect of those projects have been signed.

It is estimated that of the 11,880 housing units, approx 2,200 will be social housing units made up of Part V units and additional social housing being provided on the 11 State-owned sites that are benefiting from the LIHAF-funded enabling infrastructure, as well as producing some affordable housing for sale or rent.

As required under the scheme criteria and conditions, there is an agreed cost reduction or a related affordability scheme included in the agreements on all of the approved sites to ensure that there is a proportionate dividend for the State’s investment in infrastructure, as demonstrated by a proportionate reduction in house prices either across all of the homes being facilitated or a specified number of homes which will benefit from a larger price reduction.  Based on the information provided by the local authorities in their agreements and analysis of current house prices in the areas concerned, and recognising the commercial sensitivity around some of the details in the agreements reached, the approved projects outside Dublin are likely to have new homes for sale towards the lower end of the bands identified by the Deputy, while the projects in Dublin are likely to have starter homes available towards the middle and upper end of these bands.

In relation to the 22 sites for which grant agreements have been signed, the number of houses to be delivered on each site is set out in the following table.

I expect to be in a position to consider and approve the remaining projects shortly and further summary information in relation to all LIHAF funded projects will be made available on my Department's website at that stage.

Table: Approved Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund projects.