Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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329. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the percentage of new social houses built during this term that will meet the universal design standards; if he will instruct local authorities to build more family size social houses that meet the needs of families in which multiple members have disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17154/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Social housing is built to the design standards set out in the guidelines 'Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities' which are available at .

In preparing the Guidelines, particular account was taken of the objectives of government policy on sustainability, including access for people with disabilities and meeting varied needs of occupants through their lifetime. The design approach to social housing seeks to eliminate barriers to accessibility for all users - particularly older people and those with mobility impairment or other disability. Where units are being designed for those with disabilities, the Guidelines refer to the National Disability Authority publication 'Building for Everyone: Inclusion, Access and Use'. More recently, the Housing Agency published a Roadmap titled 'Designing Housing to Meet the Needs of All' which has specific regard to the principles of universal design.

The housing needs of people with disabilities are addressed in the National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability (NHSPWD) 2011-2016, which was affirmed in Rebuilding Ireland and extended to 2020 to continue to deliver on its aims. In accordance with the vision and strategic aims of the NHSPWD to achieve a coordinated and integrated approach to meeting the housing needs of people with a disability at local level, Housing and Disability Steering Groups (HDSGs) have been established in all local authority areas. These are chaired by the Directors of Housing with membership including the HSE and disability representatives.

Each HDSG has prepared a local Strategic Plan for its own City/County area, to develop specific local strategies to meet the identified and emerging housing needs of people with disabilities in their areas with a view to developing annual targets for the delivery of housing to people with a disability on their housing waiting lists. The HDSG in each local authority is also responsible for identifying the specific needs of households with one or multiple members with special needs, in order to prioritise support for these families by the delivery of accommodation appropriately designed to meet the specific needs of the household members, using all appropriate housing mechanisms including the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) and the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).

My Department also provides funding to local authorities for adaptations and extensions to the existing social housing stock to meet the needs of older local authority tenants and people with a disability under the Disabled Persons Grants (DPG) scheme. Allocations under this scheme are being considered by my Department and the funding will be some €15m this year which is similar to the sum available to local authorities in 2019.

The Programme for Government commits to ensuring that there is an appropriate mix of housing design types provided, including universally designed units, and accommodation for older people and people with disabilities.

The policy paper Housing Options for Our Ageing Population, launched jointly by my Department and the Department of Health in 2019, contained an action item to “In partnership with industry, introduce measures to ensure that over a five year period delivery is increased to ensure that 30% of all new dwellings are built to incorporate universal design principles to accommodate our ageing population.” Appropriate measures to deliver on this commitment are currently being formulated by my Department.

Under Action 97 of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy, the National Disability Agency is tasked with preparing policy advice on ways of achieving universal design solutions for new housing so that new homes can be accessed and used by all persons, irrespective of size, age, ability or disability. Once that advice and costings are available, it will be considered alongside the other housing related commitments for people with a disability in the Programme for Government, and will be examined in a review of the National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability (NHSPWD) which will commence in 2020, with a view to putting a new Strategy in place in 2021.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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330. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the average construction and all-in development costs for one, two, three and four bedroom social houses and one, two and three bedroom social housing apartments delivered under the SHIP in the past 12 months as distinct from the Departmental expenditure ceilings for such units which was provided in an earlier reply, in tabular form. [17233/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Question number 427 of 14 July 2020, provided the ranges of Unit Cost Ceilings (UCCs) as issued to each local authority as a benchmark for the development and costing of new build social housing. These UCCs were based on returned data from tendered social housing schemes over an extended period, updated from published tender index information, with the most recent set of UCCs being produced in Q1 2019.

It was intended that updated UCCs would issue to local authorities at the end of Q1 2020, however, the impact of Covid-19 on construction activity meant that this updating was deferred until such a time as sufficient market data is available and the impact on construction tender prices is clearer. The tables below therefore outline the Q1 2019 average UCC values for houses and apartments across all local authority areas.

Construction cost as shown, is reflective of building costs (including VAT) and also includes normal site works and site development. ‘All-in Cost’ includes cost of construction, land cost, professional fees, utility connections, site investigations/surveys, VAT and contribution to public art. Abnormal costs are excluded from these figures.