Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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238. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount of land zoned for residential use transferred from local authorities under the land aggregation scheme by local authority and location; the dates of completion of the transfers; the number of transfers awaiting completion; the number of units completed on these lands to date by location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38151/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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A detailed database and GIS map of Land Aggregation Scheme sites, showing their location, size, boundaries, zoning and other information, is available at .

Under the terms of the Land Aggregation Scheme, lands accepted into the scheme must be transferred to the ownership of the Housing Agency. The Housing Agency is responsible for managing the transfer process, including any technical and legal aspects. Of the 73 sites accepted into the Land Aggregation Scheme, 71 have now transferred to the ownership of the Housing Agency.

The position with regard to the two sites that have not transferred is as follows:

1, Royal Oak, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow (0.11ha): a decision was taken taken not to transfer the small site as it is already being developed by an Approved Housing Body under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS).

2. Barrack Road, Youghal, Co Cork (1.16 hectares): discussions are ongoing between the Housing Agency, an AHB and Cork County Council regarding the development of this site. Proposals for its development had been signaled by the AHB involved and a decision as to whether it is pragmatic to transfer this site to the Housing Agency is contingent on progress being demonstrated in bringing forward concrete proposals.

In terms of the development of the Land Aggregation Scheme sites generally, the Housing Agency is prioritising those which are already serviced and with the most potential to deliver housing at scale in the short to medium term. Some sites are incorporated into proposals which were awarded funding under Phase 1 of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (e.g. Mount Avenue, Dundalk, Gibbet Hill, Waterford and Lissywollen, Athlone) which will facilitate the development of a wider serviced land bank on both private and public lands.

The Housing Agency is also working with the new Land Development Agency, in progressing residential development on three prime Land Aggregation Scheme sites, at Hampton, Balbriggan, Co Dublin, Hacketstown, Skerries, Co Dublin, and Devoy Barracks, Naas, Co Kildare, which collectively have the capacity to deliver some 1,000 homes.

Projects to deliver 769 social homes are being progressed on Land Aggregation Scheme sites, details of which are set out in the following table. Progress on these and other developments can be tracked through the Social Housing Construction Status Report. The latest report (Q1 2018) is available on the Rebuilding Ireland website at .

My Department will continue to work with the Housing Agency, the relevant local authorities, the Land Development Agency and Approved Housing Bodies with a view to delivering the optimum housing mix from these and other Land Aggregation Scheme sites.