Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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55. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans for further social housing projects in County Meath. [9673/18]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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56. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of a new scheme of social housing in Kells, County Meath. [9674/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 56 together.

Social housing need, is in the first instance, a local issue and local authorities must respond to the nature and extent of that local need by devising and implementing appropriate targeted proposals that best fit the specific needs in their areas.

For that purpose, my Department has put in place the structures and funding required for the early advancement of social housing supply proposals put forward by local authorities, including Meath County Council. €6 billion in exchequer investment has been secured to support the social housing targets under Rebuilding Ireland and to deliver 50,000 social housing units through build, refurbishment, acquisitions and leasing, over the period to 2021.

In relation to social housing developments, the latest status report for social housing construction projects, as at end Q3 2017, contains key information on current social housing construction activity in all local authority areas. The Q3 2017 report details 772 schemes recently completed, on site, or undergoing planning, design or procurement, which will deliver some 12,300 homes.  The Report is available on my Department's website at the following weblink: .

The report shows a strong pipeline of activity being undertaken by Meath County Council, in conjunction with Approved Housing Bodies, across 31 projects, delivering in the region of  577 homes.  My Department will continue to work with the Council to facilitate and accelerate the delivery of social housing in the county, through the broad range of build, leasing and acquisition programmes that my Department operates.

With regard to the project in Kells referred to, my Department recently issued Stage 3 approval to enable the project to proceed to tender. It is now a matter for the Council to progress this scheme through Stage 4 tender approval, to construction.