Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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180. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on the incorporation of the serviced sites fund into the affordable housing fund; his further views on the distinction between the responsibilities the latter has as compared to the Croí Cónaithe towns fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49448/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Following two broad-based Serviced Sites Fund (SSF) calls for proposals to local authorities, funding of almost €200 million was approved in principle in support of 40 infrastructure projects in 14 local authority areas across 9 counties to assist in the delivery of almost 4,200 affordable homes for purchase or for rent.

Since then and arising from the Programme for Government commitment to extend the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF), a review of SSF progress and projects to date was undertaken. Having regard to feedback from local authorities, a number of significant improvements to the funding scheme, now named the Affordable Housing Funding (AHF) scheme, have been agreed and communicated to local authorities by way of Circular in June 2021.

These changes include expanding the scope of costs covered to subvent the all-in development cost of delivering the housing; accepting applications as they are developed on a rolling basis as opposed to time constrained funding calls; and, allowing funding support to now exceed the current maximum of €50,000 per affordable dwelling on a stepped scale to €100,000, based on location and density.

My Department is currently engaging with the 14 local authorities with SSF schemes approved in principle to clarify whether they now wish to continue with their SSF application as agreed or re-submit their application to be considered under the new terms of the AHF.

Separately and as announced in Housing for All, a Croí Cónaithe (Towns) scheme is in development and is expected to support homeownership in towns around the country by making available serviced sites in towns for housing construction or providing support towards the refurbishment of vacant properties where the level of vacancy or dereliction is high. A pathfinder programme will be initiated later this year, to facilitate the making available of some 2,000 sites for homes by 2025.