Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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21. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the extent to which he plans to assess the housing need by way of reference to the number of applicants for local authority housing on the various housing lists nationally; if he is satisfied that the programme for Government adequately addresses the full extent of the need over a four to five year period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17647/20]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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23. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the extent to which he plans to embark on a direct build local authority housing programme of sufficient scale to make serious inroads on local authority housing waiting lists; if he will extend the housing programme to encompass affordable housing, private sites and improved to access to local authority loans with the objective of meeting the ever growing needs in respect of housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17648/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 23 together.

Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area are set out in the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recent summary (June 2019), shows that 68,693 households were assessed as qualified for and being in need of social housing support, a decrease of 3,165 households (4.4%) on 2018. Since 2016, the numbers have decreased from 91,600 to 68,693, a reduction of 25%.

The Programme for Government commits to delivering more than 50,000 further social homes, with an emphasis on new builds, and to focus on the delivery of affordable homes. I have convened a High Level Group of key delivery partners to seek their views on a range of initiatives aimed at speeding up delivery of social housing.

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, other existing measures and the input of delivery partners.