Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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130. To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to expand the NARPS model to increase the supply of social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5335/18]

Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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131. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of staff employed by NAMA; the annual operating costs; the number of staff engaged with the NARPS model per annum in each of the years 2011 to 2017, and to date in 2018, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5336/18]

Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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132. To ask the Minister for Finance the amount spent to date through the NARPS model; the number of units acquired; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5337/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 to 132, inclusive, together.

I am advised that to date, NAMA has delivered 2,472 houses and apartments for social housing, excluding houses provided under Part V arrangements. NAMA provides whatever funding is required to ensure that social housing units are habitable and in full compliance with all statutory requirements and to date, it has invested approximately €350 million in remediating, completing and purchasing properties for social housing use. NAMA established a special vehicle, NARPS, to purchase suitable units for onward leasing to local authorities and approved housing bodies.

Demand has been confirmed by local authorities for 2,684 residential properties and 2,472 of these properties were delivered or contracted for delivery by end-2017. This included 1,372 units which are leased, or contracted for lease, by NARPS to local authorities and approved housing bodies. I am advised that, as set out in the NARPS’ Financial Statements for 2016, the most recent to be published, the acquisition cost of NARPS’ property assets as at the end of 2016 was €189m.

I am advised that as NAMA is now well advanced on its deleveraging programme, there is no longer any suitable stock available for purchase from debtors and receivers and accordingly there is no scope to expand the NARPS portfolio further.

I would remind the Deputy of the announcement this week by the Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Housing and Urban Development of the Enhanced Long-term Social Housing Leasing Scheme. This scheme, which involves the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the NDFA and the Housing Agency, was established on a similar basis to the NARPS model and will enable the private sector to invest in providing properties that can be leased to local authorities for use as social housing on a long-term basis for up to 25 years. This initiative is targeted at delivering housing units additional to those delivered through Part V arrangements.

I also wish to advise the Deputy that at the end of 2017, NAMA staffing figures stood at 255 (net of resignations). Administration costs for the Agency in 2016, the last full-year for which accounts are available, were €80m.

The NAMA team which manages NAMA’s social housing interests has since 2012, comprised two full-time staff members. These two members of staff are NTMA staff assigned to NAMA and are not exclusively dedicated to NARPS work. They are supported on a part-time basis by staff from NAMA’s Legal and CFO divisions.