John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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257. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the percentage of new social and affordable houses and apartments built in each of the years 2015 to 2018 and to date in 2019 that have been timber frame houses and apartments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50471/19]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Rebuilding Ireland commits to deliver more than 50,000 social homes by the end of 2021 through a combination of delivery mechanisms.

These include build, acquired and leased homes to be delivered either directly by local authorities, or in partnership with Approved Housing Bodies. New build homes may also be delivered through turn-key arrangements with private developers or delivered for social housing under Part V.

New build homes are advanced utilizing a range of building methods, including timber frame, RAPID technology and traditional, block built construction methods. 

My department does not collect data on the breakdown of building methods, rather we work to ensure that all new social homes are delivered to the very highest standards. To this end, all new dwellings must comply with Building Regulations, Building Control requirements and achieve a 60 year durability for all key elements.  

It should be noted that rapid delivery construction systems must comply with an appropriate Irish Standard, Agrément Certificate or European technical Assessment or equivalent, demonstrating compliance with Irish Building Regulations.

I am confident that the thousands of new social homes being delivered nationwide will provide safe, sustainable housing for many generations to come.