Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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1250. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the delivery of affordable homes on the Poolbeg strategic development zone, Dublin. [4479/20]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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While my Department is supporting Dublin City Council and, indeed, other local authorities, in their plans to provide more affordable housing, land utilisation and activation, including for the delivery of more affordable housing, is, in the first instance, a matter for each local authority and its elected members.

In relation to the provision of affordable housing, I commenced Part 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, which covers Affordable Dwelling Purchase Arrangements, in June 2018. This now provides the statutory basis for the delivery of affordable housing for purchase in the State.

Under these provisions, I signed regulations in respect of the making of a Scheme of Priority on 12 March 2019, which in turn were issued to local authorities on 22 March 2019. The purpose of a Scheme of Priority is to set out the affordable purchase arrangements at local authority level, and includes the methodology that will be applied by local authorities to determine the order of priority to be accorded to eligible households where the demand for such affordable dwellings exceeds the number available. Dublin City Council members agreed the Council's Scheme of Priority in May 2019 and I approved the Scheme in early July 2019. Further affordable housing regulations will be put in place in the months ahead regarding eligibility and other matters.

The regeneration of Poolbeg West is the next logical step in transforming the Docklands area, given its strategic location east of Grand Canal Dock, with close proximity to important bridge connections to Dublin Port and North Lotts. The extent of vacant available brownfield land in the area is significant, at 34 hectares.

The residential potential within the 34 hectare of available lands, is for a maximum of 3,500 additional residential units at a gross residential density of up to 238 units per hectare on lands over 14.7 hectares to the south of South Bank Road. This estimated housing yield would be sufficient to support a residential population of approximately 8,000 people and, therefore, would make a significant contribution to the city’s housing needs.

During the process leading to the adoption of the planning scheme for the Poolbeg West area by the elected members of Dublin City Council, an issue of significant interest was the capacity of this site to assist both in the provision of much needed housing, but also that there would be an increased provision over the statutory 10% of housing units for social and affordable purposes. This matter was considered both by Dublin City Council in the adoption of the planning scheme and by An Bord Pleanala in the consideration of appeals brought against the scheme adopted by the Council. In their decision of 9 April 2019, An Bord Pleanala modified the SDZ scheme in relation to this matter as follows:

- “Prior to commencement of development, subject to confirmed funding and value for money considerations, a commercial agreement shall be entered into between Dublin City Council, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and the owners/developers of the residential element of the Planning Scheme for the delivery of 15% of the residential units approved on the lands included in this Planning Scheme for social and affordable housing purposes. These units shall be additional to the housing provided for social housing purposes as required above. (i.e. additional to the 10% social and affordable)”

In relation to the wider activation of these lands, it is understood that NAMA is currently undertaking a process to select a preferred bidder to develop the lands in the SDZ scheme area. My Department remains committed to working with Dublin City Council, any relevant Approved Housing Bodies and either the receiver and/or developers of the SDZ area in order to secure additional social and affordable housing from this site over and above Part V obligations and of the order of magnitude laid out in the adopted planning scheme. This will be subject to agreement on all the normal and relevant terms, including value for money aspects.

In order to support local authorities in their delivery of affordable homes, the Government has committed €310 million under the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF), which is to provide facilitating infrastructure on local authority sites so that more affordable homes, either to buy or rent, can be delivered. At a maximum amount of €50,000 per home, it is anticipated at least 6,200 more affordable homes can be provided. The SSF is being made available in areas where local authorities have demonstrated a requirement for affordable housing and the viability to deliver such housing on their sites.

Full details of the all projects approved under the 1st and 2nd SSF call for proposals are available at the following links:

, and .

It is intended to issue a 3rd call for proposals under the SSF to local authorities later this year.