Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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273. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the extent to which he expects to pursue policies likely to encourage the provision of a major local authority housing building programme thereby achieving enhanced value for money through increased access to affordable housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17447/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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This Government, and I, are absolutely committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing solutions are available to everyone in Irish society and this is reflected in the Programme for Government - Our Shared Future.

The Programme for Government commits to ensuring that local authorities are central to delivering housing. This Government will increase the social housing stock by over 50,000 over the next five years, with an emphasis on new builds. It will also put affordability at the heart of the housing system through the progression of State-backed affordable housing. Affordable Purchase and Cost Rental homes will be delivered on State and public lands through a number of channels including by local authorities and the Land Development Agency. The delivery of affordable homes by local authorities will be supported via the €310m Services Sites Fund which is available within my Department. This fund targets those areas where affordability has been identified as an issue and provides facilitating infrastructure thereby sub-venting the end cost of homes on local authority sites.

Since taking up Office, I have established two High Level Taskforces involving key stakeholders to ensure that the delivery of homelessness services and social housing are prioritised this year, recognising the impact of Covid-19.

In terms of affordable housing, I will outline my detailed plans in the Autumn, taking account of the progress made under the Serviced Site Fund and other existing measures. In this context, I am consulting with key stakeholders to examine and identify potential options for the acceleration and expansion of the delivery of affordable housing.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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274. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will address a matter regarding a housing list (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16491/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.

My Department actively encourages local authorities to ensure all vacant properties in their stock are brought back into use as expeditiously as possible. Since 2014, funding has been provided for this purpose under the Voids Programme and the suite of works being funded is tailored to encourage swift turnaround. My Department will continue to support local authorities in their work in this area.

A call for proposals for Voids funding necessary to counteract the impact of Covid-19 issued earlier this years and funding for 12 units at a cost of €84,232 was approved for Kerry County Council. In addition, a call for proposals under the normal voids programme will issue shortly and any funding submission received from Kerry County Council will be actively considered.

It is important that local authorities increasingly move toward a preventative maintenance approach to the management of their housing stock and my Department is working with local authorities to this end.