Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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520. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will consider enabling housing bodies to transfer some of their social units to affordable units to ensure a greater mix; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49088/19]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness recognises the key contribution that Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) make to the delivery of social housing. Approximately 34,000 homes are managed by AHBs, meeting the housing needs of families on low income, older persons, persons with disabilities and households experiencing homelessness.

AHBs are committed to delivering a third of the 50,000 new social housing units that are to be provided over the period of the Plan through a blended delivery of build, acquisition and leasing.

My Department has in place three schemes available to AHBs to support the provision of social housing,

These are:

- CAS - Capital Assistance Scheme

- CALF - Capital Advance Leasing Facility

- SHCEP - Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme.

These schemes enable AHBs to source units for the provision of social housing through construction or acquisition of units and leasing units from the private sector. In 2018 AHBs delivered a total of 3.219 homes (38% of the delivery of social homes) and have delivered 1,009 homes up to Q2 2019.

The AHB Sector is playing a central role in contributing to the delivery of social housing under Rebuilding Ireland, as well as meeting the need of existing tenants, and I am committed to using these schemes to ensure that momentum towards meeting the ambitious 50,000 social housing target under the Action Plan is maintained. Accordingly, there are currently no proposals to enable AHBs to transfer units in the manner suggested.