Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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752. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the overall new build housing target he is working to for 2018 and each subsequent year covered by Rebuilding Ireland; the targets for new build, social housing, affordable housing, cost rental, privately purchased housing and all other types; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32362/18]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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753. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the targets for housing output for 2018 and each year remaining under the Rebuilding Ireland plan by type of output, that is, all newly constructed plus all other arrangements such as leasing and use of vacant units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32363/18]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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754. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the new build housing target that was set for 2017; the way in which this compares to output by housing type; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32364/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 752 to 754, inclusive, together.

Rebuilding Ireland targets the delivery of 50,000 social homes by 2021, through build, acquisition and leasing, supported by investment of €6 billion. With the increased resources being made available for social housing under Budget 2018, there is now a greater emphasis on direct build activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).  In addition, over 80,000 households are to have their needs met under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS).  The following table sets out the targets in respect of social housing under the main programme areas for each year of Rebuilding Ireland.

In terms of the specific categories of delivery referred to by the Deputy, the following table shows the elements of the build activity of almost 33,500  social housing homes, including homes that will be built directly by local authorities and AHBs, as well as properties constructed for social housing through Part V and refurbished properties/Voids, together with some 6,500 acquisitions, over the period 2016 to 2021.

Details on the number of properties of various categories, purchased and built in all local authority areas, are available on my Department’s website at the following .

In 2017, 25,901 households had their housing need met, with some 7,095 of these properties delivered under through the build/acquisition and long-term leasing mechanisms.  A total of 1,014 new build homes were delivered directly by local authorities. In addition, 761 new build homes were delivered by Approved Housing Bodies and a further 522 new build Part V homes were provided by local authorities and approved housing bodies, bringing to 2,297, the total of new build homes provided in 2017. A breakdown by local authority of all social housing output in 2017 is available on my Department's website at the following https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/attachments/social_housing_output_overview_2017.xlsx .

The significant expansion of the social housing build programme is evident in the Quarter 4 2017 Social Housing Construction Status Report, which was published on 19 April.  The programme includes 846 schemes (or phases) at the end of last year, delivering over 13,400 homes, a very substantial increase on the 8,430 homes in the programme a year earlier. The full report can be accessed at this .

In 2018, I expect to see nearly 26,000 households having their housing need met. I have advised all local authorities of their minimum social housing targets across build, acquisition and lease both for 2018 and also for the multi-annual period to 2021, details of which can be accessed on my Department's website at this .

In respect of build targets for 2018, a strong pipeline is already in place for local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies to deliver on these targets. The 2018 build target is for the delivery of 4,969 social housing homes, including 3,819 local authority and Approved Housing Body build units. The Quarter 4 2017 Construction Status Report provides project detail on the existing pipeline in place, which will support the delivery against this target.

Over the course of the first quarter of 2018, projects will have progressed further through the approval process and additional projects will also have been added to the pipeline. The Q1 2018 Construction Status Report is currently being finalised and will be published shortly.

Currently my Department is working with the key local authorities and the Housing Agency to identify sites which would see  a significant quantum of new affordable homes delivered  from local authority owned land. The analysis being undertaken is  progressing well. 

With regard to cost rental, I am determined for it to become a major part of our rental landscape in the future.  The Housing Agency, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and a number of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) have been working to get our first cost rental pilot, at Enniskerry Road, ready for tenders to issue shortly. In parallel, Dublin City Council, my Department and the National Development Finance Agency are undertaking detailed modelling and financial appraisal on a major site, at St. Michael’s Estate in Inchicore, to assess its suitability for a significant cost rental development. The work of that multi-disciplinary team is progressing well and should be concluded shortly.

In overall terms, the aim is to increase overall housing supply, across all tenures, to 25,000 homes per annum by 2020.