Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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575. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the work of the Dublin Housing Delivery Group; the membership of same; the terms of reference; the number of meetings to date; and if a commitment will be provided that its minutes will be published on the website of his Department. [1999/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Dublin Housing Delivery Group (DHDG) was established in June 2021 to co-ordinate and drive delivery of social and affordable housing in the four Dublin local Authorities.  

Membership of the DHDG includes the Chief Executive of the four Dublin Local Authorities, the Chief Executive of Housing Agency (HA), programme co-ordinators from the Housing Delivery Co-Ordination Office (HDCO) and Assistant Secretaries and Principal Officers from the social and affordable division at my Department.

The group is supported by housing delivery and planning staff in the four Dublin Local Authorities and by relevant staff of DHLGH and HDCO. Other stakeholders such as AHB representatives or the LDA are invited to meetings as appropriate.

Terms of Reference

The terms of reference agree for this group are as follows:

- Having regard to targets set by the Minister for social housing delivery across the 4 Dublin Local Authorities under Housing for All for the period 2022 to 2026, to examine options for delivery including areas where the Dublin Local Authorities can collaborate to ensure delivery of those targets for Dublin as a whole.

- In recognition of the proportion of new housing required across all tenures in the Dublin region, the Group, led by the four Chief Executives, will support preparation of the Housing Delivery Action Plans by the four Dublin local authorities, with support from the DHLGH and Housing Delivery Coordination Office (HDCO).

- Monitor the 4 Dublin Local Authorities Housing Delivery Action Plans to ensure a responsive approach to overall social housing need and specific categories of Housing Need,across the Dublin Local Authorities  e.g. Disability, Age Friendly Housing, households with a 1 bedroom housing need.

- Explore the relative effectiveness of the delivery mechanisms currently in use and identify new mechanisms to advance single and mixed tenure social and affordable housing in Dublin.

- Assess the Dublin Local Authorities’ multi-annual programmes, consolidate data and risk assess the robustness of the delivery pipeline to deliver on the Programme for Government. 

- Monitor and accelerate, where needed, the delivery of social and affordable homes, particularly new build homes by the four Authorities and its delivery partners.

- Support the provision of Cost Rental Housing as a new form of Housing Tenure

- Assess the capacity of Approved Housing Bodies to support the delivery of LA multi-annual targets in the Programme for Government. 

- Support and encourage the Dublin local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and other relevant stakeholders to work together, in terms of housing delivery and identify opportunities for innovation, partnership and the sharing of knowledge and expertise.

- Examine barriers to delivery such as infrastructure gaps, cost of housing delivery, funding models etc. 

- Review and consider information on delays in the translation of planning permissions through to commencement notices on private developments.  Consider strategies to address delays and potential opportunities (e.g. for affordable or additional social housing) to develop such sites.

- Monitor and make recommendations to ensure that land is activated through the co-ordination of other State activity e.g. alignment of IW / NTA / DoES infrastructure investment with the multi-annual housing programme.

- Review and monitor use of available land to support the delivery of social, affordable and private homes in the Dublin area including public land banks available to develop social and affordable housing and the land “gap”, if any, to be addressed.

- Ensure there is an adequate supply of LA housing available to support on-going delivery.

- Review report provided by the Dublin Housing Directors in regards to delivery of the Traveller Accommodation Plans and an update from Department on the implementation of the recommendations of the Expert Group on Traveller Accommodation.

- Issue invitations to relevant stakeholders to attend meetings of the DHDG and present on relevant topics as required.

- Furnish quarterly reports to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage setting out progress on social and affordable housing delivery in Dublin, against the Action Plans including any proposals to assist delivery.

Governance

- The Chairperson of the taskforce will rotate on an annual basis among the 4 Chief Executives of the local authorities.

- The Taskforce is supported by housing delivery and planning staff in the four local authorities, and by relevant staff of DHLGH and the HDCO.

- The DHDG reports to the Minister as required, and at least quarterly.

- Decisions, where required, are made by consensus, while delivery remains the direct responsibility of the local authorities/AHB sector.

- The Secretariat is provided by the HDCO.

Meetings of this group have taken place in June, July, October and December of 2021.

As set out in the Terms of Reference the HDCO, as secretariat of this group, will furnish quarterly reports to me setting out progress on social and affordable housing delivery in Dublin, against the Action Plans including any proposals to assist delivery.  I met with the 4 Dublin LA Chief Executives in June 2021 and again in September 2021 and received oral updates on the key issues. I expect to receive the end Q4 report from the HDCO over the coming weeks. In the context of the overall reporting arrangements being put in place for Housing for All these reports and minutes of the meetings will be published on the Housing For All website.