Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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27. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on whether the local authority in County Wexford will only directly build three social houses in 2017; if he is satisfied with the rate of building of social housing by all 31 local authorities, if his Department will consider releasing extra funding to the local authorities specifically for the direct building of social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52271/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Addressing our housing shortage and homelessness crisis is the number one priority and Rebuilding Ireland is focused on increasing and accelerating housing delivery, across all tenures.

It should be noted that the funding for the social housing element of Rebuilding Ireland was increased from €5.35 billion to over €6 billion in Budget 2018. €1.9 billion of this is allocated for housing in 2018.  Beyond 2018, my Department has secured an extra €500 million for capital investment in social housing in the years 2019 to 2021, allowing the Rebuilding Ireland social housing target to be increased from 47,000 to 50,000 homes.

In relation to social housing construction activity, my Department publishes comprehensive status reports on a quarterly basis of all social housing construction schemes for all local authority areas, showing details such as their locations and a range of information relating to their advancement.  The most recent of these reports covers the period up to the end of quarter 3 of 2017. It contains information on the delivery of over 12,000 new social housing homes, which are currently approved and progressing through planning, design and construction, as well as homes delivered in 2016 and to the end of quarter 3 of 2017.  The report can be accessed at the following link:

The report shows that Wexford County Council, and the Approved Housing Bodies it is working with, have a social housing construction programme of thirty eight projects at planning, design, tender or construction, which will deliver approximately three hundred and ninety homes when complete. In addition to the three social housing homes scheduled for completion in 2017, nine further homes are due to commence construction in Gorey later this month, while twelve homes are under construction at three sites, which are due for completion in Q2 and Q3 2018. In addition, tenders on two projects comprising twenty homes are due back shortly, while ten further homes are due to go to tender later this month. 

Local authorities have also been undertaking targeted acquisitions with a particular focus on vacant properties in order to avoid increasing pressure and competition in local property markets. To date in 2017, €10.9 million has been provided to Wexford County Council to purchase seventy nine houses. A further €428,000 has been provided so far this year to the Council to return thirty four vacant social houses back into full use. To date in 2017, over five hundred households in County Wexford have had their housing need met by the Housing Assistance Payment scheme.

In addition, my Department has put in place new targeted timelines for social housing construction projects that set out the optimum timeframe from initial project concept through to design, planning, procurement and mobilisation of contractor on site.  The programme puts an onus on all stakeholders to advance projects through the process in a timely manner.

My Department will continue to engage actively with all local authorities, including Wexford County Council, to deliver social housing through all available avenues, with a particular emphasis on additional construction projects.