Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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217. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of social houses built in County Waterford in the past 12 months; if Waterford Council sought funding from his Department in order to build housing; and the housing waiting list figure for Waterford city and county. [48787/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Statistics on the number of social housing properties constructed, purchased and leased by local authorities and approved housing bodies, including for Waterford City & County Council, are published on my Department’s website at the following link: www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision.

All local authorities, including Waterford City & County Council, have been advised of their individual social housing targets across build, acquisition and leasing for 2018 and also for 2018-2021. Full details of the targets for all local authority areas, including Waterford, are available on the Rebuilding Ireland website at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-publishes-social-housing-delivery-targets-for-local-authorities-2018-2021/.  New social housing construction projects are listed in the quarterly Construction Status Report, with the most recently published version available at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-publishes-latest-social-housing-construction-report/.  This shows a significant level of such projects in Waterford, including projects completed and currently on site, many of which I expect to be completed in the near future.

Funding for new social housing delivery is provided to local authorities as they deliver the projects.  Accordingly, Waterford City & County Council is continuously drawing down funding as they advance such projects. 

Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area are provided in the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA), which has been carried out on an annual basis since 2016. The results of each SSHA are available on my Department’s website and include breakdowns by each local authority across a range of categories. The 2018 Report can be accessed at: www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/summary_of_social_housing_assessments_2018_-_key_findings.pdf.  The SSHA is a point in time exercise, with 11 June 2018 being the count date for the most recent report.  Waterford City & County Council reported 1,117 households on its waiting list at that time.