John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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1826. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of rapid build houses that have been built and occupied to the end of 2017; the rapid build schemes and number of houses in each scheme he expects to be completed during 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1897/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Under Rebuilding Ireland, a total of 208 rapid delivery homes were completed by end 2017.  There are currently some 20 further rapid delivery projects, yielding in excess of 470 social homes, at various stages of advancement, the vast majority of which are scheduled for delivery in 2018. Under my Department’s current funding programmes, approved housing bodies (AHB) are also being asked to consider delivering schemes using rapid build methodologies and a number of them have or will transfer schemes from traditional construction to rapid delivery over the coming months. Figures on numbers of AHB schemes and units involved will be collected during the year.

All local authorities have been asked to review the social housing projects in their areas and in the interest of achieving earliest delivery, requested to consider their suitability for Design and Build contracts under the Rapid Delivery Framework 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 both approved schemes and additional schemes under consideration may be suitable and my Department is following up with relevant Local Authorities. Where new schemes are proposed under both Capital and Current programmes, my Department will engage with the Local Authorities to establish if they are suitable for design and build and the OGP Rapid Delivery contractor framework.

Updated details in relation to the Programme of Rapid Build projects will be included in each Social Housing Construction Projects Status Report, which are published on a quarterly basis on the Rebuilding Ireland website, www.rebuildingireland.ie.  The next Status Report, which will set out the position as at end Q4 2017, will be published later in Q1 2018.