Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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81. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the position regarding affordable housing availability and discounts on house prices in developments assisted by LIHAF funding and infrastructure. [16061/19]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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121. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the level of discount from market value he expects to achieve for affordable houses being provided and supported with funding from the serviced sites fund and the local infrastructure housing activation fund; the number of houses to be provided by each fund in 2019 and 2020, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16373/19]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 81 and 121 together.

Affordable housing is being delivered through a range of mechanisms, including the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF); direct delivery from State land supported by the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF); and delivery by the Land Development Agency.  It is expected that with construction progress being made in 2019, the first homes would become available from 2020 onwards.  

Approximately 2,350 affordable homes will be delivered on mainly publicly owned lands supported through LIHAF, while 5,600 further homes will benefit from a LIHAF related cost reduction. 

Under the SSF, €310 million is being available from 2019 through to 2021 to support facilitating infrastructure on local authority sites, which will deliver over 6,000 affordable homes.  I issued approval in December 2018 for funding for 10 infrastructure projects costing €43 million, which will support the delivery of 1,400 affordable homes. A second call for proposals seeking funding support has now issued and my Department will continue to work very closely with local authorities in order to advance priority affordable housing projects.

The price of individual homes to be delivered with the support of the SSF will be determined on a project-by-project basis.  Part 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, which has now been commenced, provides for a discount of up to 40% of the market value on the property, with the discount being held as an equity stake by the local authority until subsequently bought out by the household or captured on resale.

The work of the Land Development Agency will also be of crucial importance in terms of delivering more affordable housing; an initial portfolio of eight sites that the Agency has access to will have the potential, over the short to medium term, to deliver 3,000 affordable homes in line with the Government policy of achieving 30% affordable housing on State lands generally.