Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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272. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of his Department's steps to address the classification of approved housing bodies as part of general Government expenditure; the timeframe for actions to be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21896/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Minister for Finance has recently published the Draft Stability Programme Update for 2018. This included an analysis of the financial impact of the Eurostat decision to reclassify the majority of Tier 3 Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) as part of the local government sector. This was an important first step in the Government's assessment as to the impact of the Eurostat decision.

Following the completion of this analysis, which has defined the scope of the financial implications of this decision for the Exchequer, my Department will be engaging closely with the Department of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform to ensure that AHBs can continue to fulfil their full potential in the delivery of the targets set out in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. In that context, arrangements are being made for further discussions on the next stage of this process, which will take place in the coming weeks.

I am also aware that the AHB sector has engaged its own research into this important issue and my Department is evaluating the work undertaken in this regard.

The Government continues to see a central role for the voluntary housing sector in contributing to delivery of social housing under Rebuilding Ireland, and is committed to using all mechanisms and schemes, including through the AHB sector, to ensure that we maintain the momentum towards meeting the ambitious 50,000 social housing target under the Action Plan.