Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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280. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the extent to which he expects extra local authority houses to become available in the course of the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45477/17]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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284. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps he will take to address the acute problem of the local authority housing shortage in the short-term with particular reference to the need to identify more ambitious targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45481/17]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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287. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the extent to which he entered into dialogue with the local authorities with a view to ensuring the immediate implementation of a local authority housing programme sufficient to address the problem of homelessness and to reduce the existing local authority housing waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45484/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 280, 284 and 287 together.

To support and accelerate the delivery of social housing, as set out in Rebuilding Ireland, the necessary funding is in place, with a greater emphasis now being placed on direct build activity for local authorities and approved housing bodies.  In 2017, funding of almost €1.3 billion is being made available to support housing programmes, including the delivery of over 21,000 social housing supports.

In Budget 2018, I secured €1.9 billion for housing programmes next year. This is a 46% increase over 2017 and will support the housing needs of 25,500 households. A large element, €1.14 billion, is for the delivery of almost 5,900 social homes through a range of construction (5,000) and acquisition (900) programmes. The balance of the funding will add new tenancies and maintain existing ones through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) and long-term leasing.  It will also fund other important housing supports and services in relation to homelessness, regeneration and programmes to upgrade existing housing (energy efficiency improvements, adaptation grants, housing for Travellers, pyrite, etc).

Additionally, I secured a further €500 million for investment in social housing over the period 2019–2021, which will increase the overall level of social housing to be delivered by local authorities and approved housing bodies by a further 3,000 homes. The overall target for social housing delivery under Rebuilding Ireland, therefore, has increased from 47,000 to 50,000 homes, with the total funding investment increasing from €5.35 billion to over €6 billion.

The following table sets out the targets in respect of social housing under the main programme areas for each year of Rebuilding Ireland.  It also includes targets for the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) and the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) under which, in addition to the 50,000 homes referred to above, a further 88,000 housing solutions will be provided -

The level of social housing construction activity can be seen in the status reports now published on a quarterly basis in relation to all social housing construction schemes for all local authority areas. These reports show details such as project locations and scale, as well as information relating to their advancement. The most recent report covers the period up to the end of quarter 2 of 2017 and contains information on the delivery of 11,000 new social homes, currently approved and progressing through planning, design and construction. It also contains details of the homes delivered in 2016 and to the end of quarter 2 of 2017.  The report can be accessed at the following link:

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I am keen that all local authorities advance their social housing programmes as speedily as possible and I have assured them that funding is in place to support their activity in this regard.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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281. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department has offered the option of modular housing to the local authorities that have long housing waiting lists; if so, the uptake in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45478/17]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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282. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the extent to which rapid build or modular housing has been offered to Kildare County Council having regard to the seriousness of the housing situation in view of the fact that this will not improve unless steps are taken to address the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45479/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 281 and 282 together.

Utilising innovative construction technologies can accelerate housing provision, as timeframes are considerably less than for traditional build. Faster delivery may also mean that homes can be provided at more affordable rates than traditional build. To date, my Department's focus in relation to this form of house building has been on encouraging its use for accelerated delivery of social housing units and considerable progress is being made. 

In that regard, my Department recently asked all local authorities, including Kildare County Council, to review the social housing projects in their areas and in the interest of achieving earliest delivery, they have been requested to consider their suitability for Design and Build contracts under the Rapid Build Framework, which includes modular design, set up by the Office Of Government Procurement. They were asked to consider, in particular, schemes which are amenable to early commencement, particularly in terms of their approved planning status.

In response, some authorities have indicated that a number of approved schemes and new schemes under consideration may be suitable. I expect that some authorities will utilise the OGP Rapid Build framework to help expedite delivery and I expect to be announcing further details in this regard in the coming weeks.

The question of utilising rapid build methodologies and other innovative construction technologies is, ultimately, a matter for consideration by each local authority in the context of individual projects. As I previously indicated to the Deputy, my Department and I are working with local authorities and approved housing bodies to accelerate the delivery of all housing, including rapid build, in order to tackle the current housing waiting lists and to deliver homes, as quickly as possible, to those who need them.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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283. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the extent to which planning procedures can be expedited to facilitate the building of extra local authority houses with particular reference to the need to make an impact on the numbers on local authority waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45480/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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In relation to the planning process, the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 amended section 179 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, relating to the arrangements for approval by local authorities of their own development proposals, often referred to as the Part 8 process, to provide for greater clarity around timelines associated with the various steps in the process. This amendment required a supporting amendment to the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, which was provided for in the Planning and Development (Strategic Housing Development) Regulations 2017.

Under the new arrangements, which came into operation from 3 July 2017, the maximum timeframe for the determination of local authority own development proposals is 20 weeks from the date of issue of the proposals for public consultation by the Chief Executive, whereas previously there was no maximum timeframe.

These reforms provide greater certainty around the timeframes for such proposals, including proposals for social housing projects and infrastructure servicing both public and private development.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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285. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the extent to which he might authorise the reintroduction of the rural housing programme, with particular reference to those on the local authority housing lists coming from a rural area being facilitated by way of a programme to ensure that they might be housed in their own area rather than adding to the waiting lists in urban areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45482/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each housing authority area are provided in the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The purpose of the assessment is to count the total number of households qualified for and in need of social housing support across the country on a specified date in order to inform policy and plan for the right types of housing support.

The most recent statutory summary of social housing assessments, carried out in 2016, details the number of households on all local authority waiting lists as at 21 September 2016.

The results are available on my Department’s website at the link below and include breakdowns by each local authority across a range of categories. The 2016 report also includes the results of the 2013 summary for comparative purposes:

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In line with a commitment given in the Social Housing Strategy 2020 summaries are now being carried out an annual basis. I expect the results of the 2017 Summary to be available for publication in the coming weeks.

It is a matter for each local authority to determine the nature, location and relative priority of individual social housing projects and the SSHA data can be utilised to aid this process. In submitting proposals for funding to my Department in respect of new social housing projects, local authorities may include proposals for single social houses in rural areas where they have identified and prioritised such need.

Addressing our housing shortage and homelessness crisis is the Government's number one priority.  The Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, is focussed on increasing and accelerating housing delivery, across all tenures. The funding earmarked for the Action Plan was increased from €5.35 billion to over €6 billion in Budget 2018.

Local authorities now have substantial pipelines of new social housing projects, details of which have been published and are available at the following link: . 

I am keen that local authorities advance their projects as soon as possible and have assured them that funding is available to fully support their efforts in this regard.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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286. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the extent to which serviced or serviceable lands, zoned or unzoned, have been identified by each of the local authorities in the greater Dublin area to facilitate a rapid build housing programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45483/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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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 accommodate some 42,500 homes nationally. The map also includes details of some 300 hectares of land in ownership of other State or semi-State bodies, with the potential to deliver a further 7,500 homes.

Details in relation to these sites can be viewed at the following link:

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All local authorities have been requested to prepare Strategic Development and Management Plans for residential lands in their ownership to ensure they are brought forward for development at the earliest appropriate opportunity. My Department facilitated a workshop for local authorities in July to commence this process. Once all the plans have been reviewed and finalised, they will be made available publicly, both on the dedicated Rebuilding Ireland website as well as on the website of the relevant local authority.

Utilising Rapid Build and other innovative construction technologies can accelerate housing provision, as timeframes are considerably less than for traditional build. This form of house building is being encouraged for accelerated delivery of social units under my Department's programmes. Faster delivery may also mean the units can be provided at lower cost than traditional build, given that the latter may have significantly greater labour costs over the course of construction. The question of utilising Rapid Build methodologies for housing on local authority sites is, in the first instance, a matter for the relevant local authority in the context of each individual project.  

The rapid delivery programme has seen new social homes completed in Dublin at Poppintree, Ballymun (22 homes) and Finglas (39 homes). Other rapid delivery projects are nearing completion, including at Mulhuddart (20), Cherry Orchard, Ballyfermot (24), Mourne Road, Drimnagh (29) and Belcamp (38), a range of other  projects are progressing, and a number of further additional projects are in planning, including projects outside Dublin. 

I am keen that all local authorities advance their social housing construction programme as speedily as possible, using the optimum delivery mechanism and I have assured them that funding is in place to support their activity in this regard.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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288. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the extent to which the number of families deemed homeless in County Kildare are likely to achieve accommodation in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45485/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Kildare County Council, along with all other local authorities, is being funded to increase significantly its delivery of social housing as part of Rebuilding Ireland.  In Budget 2018, I secured €1.9 billion for housing programmes next year, a 46% increase over 2017.  It will support the housing needs of 25,500 households. I also secured an additional €500 million in investment in 3,000 extra social homes over the period 2019–2021, which means the Rebuilding Ireland social housing target is increasing from 47,000 to 50,000 homes, with the total funding investment growing from €5.35 billion to over €6 billion.

An important aspect of this delivery is new social housing construction and details of all the projects under that programme are now published quarterly. The latest report, setting out the position at end Q2 2017, is available on my Department's website at the following link: 

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This report shows a sizeable construction portfolio for County Kildare, delivering over 280 new social homes. In fact, since the publication of that report, a further five new social housing construction projects, with 72 new homes, have been approved for the County. 

In addition to the permanent accommodation solutions that we are putting in place, I also recently opened a new family hub development at Athy, where the Council and the Peter McVerry Trust have delivered good quality, supported accommodation for 7 families who were experiencing homelessness. 

In tandem with the construction programme, all local authorities have been undertaking the targeted acquisition of properties for immediate social housing use and so far this year, Kildare County Council has purchased over 80 such homes. Approved housing bodies (AHBs) are also very active in delivery in Kildare, as can be seen with the 45 new homes approved through the Capital Advance Leasing Facility and, over 2016/17, a further 100 new homes were acquired by AHBs for households on the Kildare social housing waiting list through the Capital Assistance Scheme.

In addition, between 2014 and the end of this year, around 100 vacant social houses in Kildare will have been returned to productive use through the programme of funding support from my Department.

The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme is also supporting local authorities and AHBs for the long term leasing of houses and apartments from private owners and developers for social housing use. Currently, there are around 375 operational units under this programme in Kildare.

Over 1,300 households are also being supported currently through the HAP scheme in Kildare. This will continue to provide a flexible housing support for addressing the housing needs of households presenting as homeless to Kildare County Council.