Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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321. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of units to be provided through the enhanced long-term social housing leasing scheme by county in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18369/19]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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A range of housing options are necessary to ensure a supply of accommodation to meet different types of social housing need. Harnessing the off-balance sheet potential of private investment in social housing is an important objective of the Government and the social housing targets set out in Rebuilding Ireland over the period to 2021 reflect the ambition in that regard.  

My Department has introduced the Enhanced Long Term Social Housing Leasing Scheme in order to target newly built or yet to be built houses and apartments for long term leasing, and to target property developers and investors who are in a position to deliver housing at a reasonable scale in order to supplement delivery under Pillar 2 of Rebuilding Ireland.  

The first call for proposals for the Enhanced Leasing Scheme was open from January to April 2018 and a total of 33 submissions were received.  The second call for proposals closed on 25th October 2018 and a total of 22 submissions were received. Information with respect to the number and location of the dwellings proposed for leasing under the Scheme will be available once the respective housing authorities have signed Agreements for Lease arising from the completion of the due diligence process.  This due diligence process is currently underway and it is expected that the first Agreements to Lease will be signed later in Q2 2019. 

My Department and the Housing Agency continue to work with local authorities and proposers in respect of the Enhanced Leasing Scheme, and the leasing schemes generally, in order to ensure maximum delivery of high quality leased properties to meet the needs of households on social housing waiting lists.  To this end, the Enhanced Long-Term Social Housing Leasing Scheme is in full operation and accepting proposals, complementing the range of other delivery mechanisms operated by my Department.