Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

241. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the timeframe for the delivery of affordable units under the local infrastructure housing activation fund; the location of the units on a local authority basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24817/19]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

242. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the estimated average price reduction per unit for units provided under the local infrastructure housing activation fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24818/19]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

243. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the drawdown of funding under LIHAF to date by project; the number of units delivered per project to date; the number projected per project; the number of affordable units to be provided per project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24819/19]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 241 to 243, inclusive, together.

As a key initiative of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is primarily designed to fund the provision of public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages and enable housing developments to be built on key sites at scale.

In respect of the delivery of affordable housing, this 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.

LIHAF, while not put in place as an Affordable Housing Scheme within the normal understanding of that term, is a measure designed to activate housing supply, which is a crucial factor in terms of moderating house prices and thereby improving affordability generally. In addition, a specific affordability dividend is being secured on most projects, either through local affordable housing schemes administered by the local authorities under the LIHAF Programme, or LIHAF cost reduced units. 2,300 affordable homes will be delivered on mainly publicly owned lands supported through LIHAF, subject to planning permission, along with an additional 5,686 homes which will benefit from a LIHAF-related cost reduction, some of which are already coming to market.

Details on all of the LIHAF projects by local authority area, budget allocation, project timeframe and description, and housing delivery have been published on the Rebuilding Ireland website and are available at the following link: www.rebuildingireland.ie/LIHAF.

In terms of LIHAF funding drawdown, thus far, most projects have been at the design and planning stages, with the bulk of expenditure arising during the construction phase, and this is reflected in the level of expenditure to date. As more projects progress further through construction/completion of infrastructure works it is expected that the drawdown will increase significantly during the rest of 2019 and 2020.

The following tables give details of LIHAF drawndown to end Q1 2019 and delivery of projects including affordable units and cost reduced units which are part of the affordable measures being delivered through LIHAF. Further drawdown of funds is envisaged in the coming weeks once Q2 2019 claims are submitted by local authorities.

Figures are projected from information submitted by Local Authorities and may be subject to change as sites move through the planning process.