Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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445. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of housing units built in 2019 and 2020 that were one-bedroom units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21348/21]

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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446. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of the social housing units built during 2020 that were one-bedroom units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21349/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 445 and 446 together.

My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on all social housing delivery activity. This data is available to the end of 2020 and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: . Details on the size of the units delivered are not available in my Department. This information may be available from individual local authorities.

The Programme for Government commits to increasing the social housing stock by 50,000 and to ensuring an appropriate mix of housing design types is provided. The Programme for Government also commits to the expansion of Housing First, with a focus on the construction and the acquisition of one-bed properties. The Government will be publishing a new housing strategy this year, which will set out details of social housing delivery for 2021-2025, including social housing targets for 2022 onwards.

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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447. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of the over 800 one-bedroom units, which according to the Housing First Implementation Plan were scheduled to be delivered by local authorities and approved housing bodies over the period to 2021 that have been delivered to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21350/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Housing First enables homeless individuals with high levels of complex needs to obtain permanent secure accommodation with the provision of intensive housing and health supports to help them maintain their tenancies.

The National Implementation Plan for Housing First, published in September 2018, which puts the programme on a national footing, is designed to provide this response, by delivering permanent housing solutions and associated supports for rough sleepers and long-term users of emergency accommodation. It extends the delivery of Housing First nationally, with the introduction of targets for each local authority. The Plan includes an overall target of 663 tenancies in the period 2018-2021. The implementation of the Plan is a joint initiative of my Department, the Department of Health, the HSE and the local authorities. 

In line with the National Implementation Plan, Housing First is being delivered on a regional basis by the local authorities and the HSE. Contracts for the delivery of services have been put in place in each of the nine regions responsible for the delivery of homeless services with tenancies now in place in every region. At the end of 2020, a total of 508 individuals were being housed under the Housing First programme including 392 individuals who have been housed since the publication of the National Implementation Plan. 

The Programme for Government commits to the further expansion of Housing First. Research is currently being undertaken by the Housing Agency to carry out an assessment of need for the supports provided by Housing First. This will inform the expansion of the Programme which I expect to announce later this year, in advance of the expiration of the current National Implementation Plan.