Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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135. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of applications made by local authority in the single stage process for social and affordable housing since its inception; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33848/21]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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136. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is satisfied with the performance of the single stage process for social and affordable housing; if not, the measures he is willing to introduce to improve uptake of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33858/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 136 together.

The table below shows the number of social housing projects being progressed by local authorities under the Single Stage review process. When first introduced in 2018, this arrangement applied to social housing projects up to the value of €2m but I increased the value of eligible projects to €6m in September 2020, to give further options to local authorities.

At the same time, I recognise that other improvements we have initiated in respect of social housing projects have improved the process through which local authorities engage with my Department as they advance their construction projects. For example, local authorities now have the benefit of standard layouts for new build social housing, as well as standard specifications and guideline costs. These supports give local authorities clear parameters within which to design and develop new social housing construction projects and reduce the issues that will arise with the approval assessments.

Notwithstanding these improvements, I am still keen to see more take-up of the single-stage process for suitable social housing projects and particularly by local authorities who have not taken this opportunity to date. My Department will continue to work proactively with local authorities to encourage further use of the single stage process and I believe there is also merit in public representatives pressing their local authorities on this.