Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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100. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the allocation of serviced sites fund by project for 2019 and 2020, in tabular form; the amount allocated and drawn down; the location of the development; the number and typology of homes per project; if the project has planning; if the project has commenced construction; and the estimated target date for completion. [31817/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Under my Department's Serviced Sites Fund (SSF), €310 million has been allocated to provide infrastructure to support the delivery of more affordable new homes for purchase or rent in those areas where local authorities have identified an affordability challenge and the viability to deliver homes and below open market purchase prices. 

Funding under the SSF is available for new-build homes on local authority land.  With a maximum of €50,000 funding available per home, at least 6,200 more affordable homes, to buy or rent at below market values, can be facilitated.  To date, Serviced Sites funding of €127 million has been approved in principle in support of 35 projects in 14 local authority areas, which will assist in the delivery of almost 3,200 affordable homes. 

The requested details for these projects is available on the Rebuilding Irelands website as follows; 

Call 1

Call 2 .

SSF projects involve public infrastructure developments which pave the way for associated housing development.  This requires extensive design, planning, public consultation and procurement processes in advance of the projects moving to construction. Reflecting the fact that the majority of SSF projects are currently at the detailed design and planning stages, the funding drawdown for constructions costs to date is approximately €2 million.  There are currently two SSF projects on site; the Boherboy Road project in Cork City, with the first phase of this anticipated to be delivered in the first quarter of 2021 and the Enniskerry Road project in Stepaside, which will be one of the Cost Rental pilot projects in the State.  

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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101. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if Dublin City Council has submitted an application for the serviced sites fund for St. Michael's Estate, Inchicore, Dublin 8; the amount requested; and when a decision will be made on the issue. [31818/20]

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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102. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount, interest rate and maturity on the European Investment Bank loan provided for the cost rental apartments in St. Michael's Estate, Inchicore, Dublin 8. [31819/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 102 together.

I can confirm that in July 2020 an application for grant funding under the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF) was formally submitted by Dublin City Council (DCC) to my Department in respect of the proposed development in Emmet Road, Inchicore of 375 Cost Rental units. This site has been identified as a pilot Cost Rental scheme and my Department has previously confirmed an intention, subject to submission of the required details, to support the scheme via the SSF.

The standard maximum level of funding available under the SSF is €50,000 per affordable home.  My officials have already met with DCC officials in relation to the SSF application and the progress of the development more broadly. It is expected that a final decision will be made in relation to the application shortly.  More generally, Departmental officials will continue to participate on the Project Board and Project Team for the Emmet Road Development with a view to supporting project delivery.

This Emmet Road development is currently at the design stage, with a dedicated design team working to progress to planning stage. Under current plans, in addition to the aforementioned 375 Cost Rental homes, there will be 109 social homes on the project. A public consultation process is presently active, and my understanding is that DCC intends to lodge a planning application with An Bord Pleanála in early 2021.

The social homes at Emmet Road will be entirely grant-funded by my Department. With regard to the Cost Rental homes, in addition to the SSF funding, it is envisioned that DCC will fund the remaining development costs for the Cost Rental units with a long-term, low-interest loan. As this project is still at the design stage, no application for funding will be made until the project is more advanced and the cost base established. The terms and conditions of any potential loan for this project would be discussed as part of that process.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has expressed strong interest in supporting Cost Rental at Emmet Road, given the EIB’s track record of supporting similar public housing projects across Europe.  I can confirm that a representative from the EIB is supporting the work of DCC and engages on an ongoing basis with the Project Board overseeing the project.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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103. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he has sought the advice of the Central Bank on the shared equity loan for which €75 million of funding was provided in Budget 2021; and if so, if the advice will be published. [31820/20]

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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104. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he has sought the advice of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the shared equity loan for which €75 million of funding provided in Budget 2021; and if so, if the advice will be published. [31821/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 104 together.

This Government is 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 commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system through the progression of State-backed affordable housing.

The Government has supported housing in Budget 2021 with an unprecedented level of funding to deliver programmes next year through an overall investment of €3.3 billion, an increase of €641m or 24% on 2020. This investment will ensure that the social housing needs of over 28,500 households are met in 2021.

Furthermore, in order to assist people in realising their aspiration of buying a home, as part of Budget 2021, €75 million will be allocated to an Affordable Purchase Shared Equity Scheme. A further €35 million will be allocated to a newCost Rental Equity Loan Facilityto help deliver Cost Rental homes at below market rents.

The development of the Affordable Purchase Shared Equity Scheme involves engagement with key stakeholders including all relevant Government Departments and the Central Bank. I will be informed by this ongoing engagement process in progressing the detailed parameters of the Scheme in the coming months, to deliver in 2021.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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105. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the breakdown of the 10,300 social homes targeted for delivery in 2021 by category (details supplied). [31822/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Budget 2021 provides for an unprecedented level of funding to deliver housing programmes next year through an overall investment of €3.3 billion, an increase of €641m (24%) on 2020. This investment will ensure that the housing needs of over 28,500 households are met in 2021. This includes delivering 12,750 social homes through Build, Acquisition and Leasing. The funding will also provide for 15,800 tenancies to be funded through HAP and RAS.

New build forms the majority of the target for new social homes, with a target of 9,500 new homes to be delivered. The remainder of the target will be delivered through 800 strategic acquisitions and 2,450 units under the various leasing programmes.