Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

67. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when additional projects in County Kildare can be considered for local infrastructure housing activation fund, LIHAF, funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19734/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The first call for proposals under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) was issued to all local authorities in August 2016 and I have fully approved 30 projects for funding in the order of €195 million with an associated expected activation of delivery of 20,000 housing units by 2021.

Kildare County Council submitted seven projects for consideration under LIHAF. Funding was approved for three of these proposals, at Maynooth, Naas and Sallins, with funding totalling €21.43 million. Four other projects were also submitted but it was not possible to approve those projects at that time.

As part of Budget 2018, I announced that an additional €50 million Exchequer funding will be available for a second LIHAF call. As was the case in the original LIHAF call, this will be subject to matching funding by local authorities. My Department will provide 75% Exchequer funding, with the local authorities themselves providing 25% matching funding. This will bring overall LIHAF funding under both calls to over €260 million.

A further call for proposals under phase 2 of LIHAF will be issued shortly to local authorities and it will be open to all local authorities to submit new projects or re-submit previous projects for consideration.