Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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220. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to make provision for affordable housing for young persons in employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47245/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Government recognises the housing affordability pressures faced by households with low to moderate income in parts of the country where housing costs are highest. Therefore, housing affordability has been examined by my Department, in consultation with the Housing Agency, local authorities and other stakeholders as part of the targeted review of Rebuilding Ireland. 

The examination was carried out under the generally accepted premise that housing is deemed affordable where households, particularly low  or moderate income households, are paying no more than a third of their disposable income on meeting their accommodation needs.  

The work took account of the measures already taken to make housing more affordable. These include the  streamlined planning system for large-scale housing developments; reduced development contributions; the €226 million LIHAF funding, the impact of Rent Pressure Zones and changes to apartment guidelines in 2015.

It also took account of the additional housing affordability measures contained in Budget 2018. As announced, there will be a second phase of the LIHAF infrastructure fund with an Exchequer contribution of €50 million to unlock additional lands for housing.

I have also secured funding of €25 million, to be provided over 2018 and 2019, to unlock local authority owned land specifically to deliver affordable housing. Local authorities have already worked very successfully with co-operative housing bodies in delivering infrastructure on local authority owned sites so that co-operatives can make affordable housing available. This model is to be made available on a far greater scale.

The housing affordability examination is now at an advanced stage and I expect to be in a position to outline the outcome, including any additional measures, in the coming weeks.