Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1213. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the estimated cost of an affordable home under the land development agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45871/18]

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

On 13 September 2018, I launched the new Land Development Agency (LDA) which will act as a new commercial State body to actively manage the strategic development of public land, with a particular focus on unlocking the potential of publicly owned brownfield sites.

The Agency will act as a national centre of expertise, working with and supporting local authorities, public bodies and other interests, to harness public lands as catalysts to stimulate regeneration and wider investment and to achieve compact, sustainable growth, with a particular emphasis on complex regeneration projects and the provision of affordable housing.

To enable more delivery of social and affordable homes on public lands, the Government has, in parallel with the establishment of the LDA, approved a new public land affordability requirement, whereby a minimum of 30% of any housing developed must be reserved for affordable purposes in addition to the 10% statutory social housing requirement under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, whether such development is being progressed by the LDA or any other market operator.

Furthermore, public bodies, such as local authorities and the Housing Agency, engaging with the LDA in relation to their lands will also be in a position to condition the release of lands for development reflecting their own policy requirements.

Therefore, complying with the Government's new public lands affordability requirement above, the LDA will be capable of progressing a significant level of both Affordable Purchase Scheme based and cost rental-based projects on lands forming part of its portfolio of sites, working within the broader policy framework for the delivery of affordable housing set by the Government.

In line with the general internationally accepted principle that households should not be spending more than a third of their income on housing costs (e.g. rent or mortgage), and using similar maximum gross income thresholds to the new affordable scheme (i.e. €50,000 for single-income and €75,000 for two-income households), my Department is working with the LDA to ensure that it can deliver housing for both purchase and rental purposes within such parameters. 

As it progresses its work, the LDA will have to demonstrate and report on how it is meeting the policy requirements under Part V and the new public lands affordability requirement, using the range of relevant affordable schemes and mechanisms.