Written answers

Wednesday, 10 February 2021

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Social and Affordable Housing

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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312. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the social and affordable housing developments under construction across local authorities in Cork city and county; the number of units, location and expected completion date of each in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6687/21]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity. This data is available to the end of Quarter 3 2020 and data for Quarter 4 2020 is currently being compiled. This data is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: . This provides information for a number of categories of social housing delivery at local authority level, but does not include a breakdown by local electoral area.

My Department has also published the Quarter 3 2020 Social Housing Construction Status Report, which provides details of all social housing developments under construction in each local authority. The report is available at the following link: . The data for Quarter 4 2020 is being compiled and the report will be published as soon as it is available. The timing of completion and tenanting of homes is a matter for each local authority.

Budget 2021 provided €3.3 billion for the delivery of housing. Subject to the impact of the covid related restrictions on the construction sector, the available funding will deliver 12,750 new social homes through build, acquisition and leasing. A major focus of this investment is the delivery of new build, with an overall target of 9,500 new homes, in addition to 800 acquisitions and 2,450 homes to be delivered through leasing programmes.

Funding of €127 million, in support of 35 projects in 14 local authority areas, has been approved in principle for infrastructure works on sites that will support the delivery of almost 3,200 homes over two Serviced Site Fund (SSF) calls. The full details of all 35 SSF projects, 9 of which are in Cork, that have been granted approval in principle, can be found at the following links:

,and

.

There is currently one SSF project in Cork under construction, which will be the first SSF project to assist in the delivery of affordable purchase homes. It is expected that the first phase of the Boherboy Road project in Cork City will deliver affordable homes in mid 2021.

Photo of Niamh SmythNiamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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314. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he plans to meet with either Cavan, Monaghan or Meath county councils to discuss the social housing strategies of his Department; the housing targets for new builds in the counties for 2021/2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6721/21]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Since my appointment as Minister, I have met directly with the Chief Executives and Housing Directors of a number of local authorities, as circumstances have allowed and in an appropriate setting, in compliance with Covid restrictions. In that context, I met with the Chief Executive of Meath County Council and members of her housing team on 2 December last, to discuss social housing issues. Their target for 2021 new build delivery is 354 units, however, there may be an impact on delivery against this target arising from the current shutdown in construction activity; this impact is being assessed by my Department and will depend on the duration of the shutdown.

Given the current Covid travel restrictions, I have not been in a position to date to visit Cavan and Monaghan local authorities in person, but I hope to do so when circumstances allow. Their 2021 social build targets are 113 for Cavan and 165 for Monaghan.

I am continuing to meet regularly through video conferencing with representatives of local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and other stakeholders, to press the advancement of our social housing programme. Social housing build targets for 2022 and beyond will be provided to local authorities as part of the Government’s development of a longer-term housing strategy, based on the Programme for Government committment to increase the social housing stock by more than 50,000.

As well as my own direct contacts with our local authorities, officials of my Department also meet regularly with their local authority counterparts, to examine progress on social housing programmes.

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