Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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259. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide an update on the delivery of affordable housing in Cork city and county; and the expected allocation date of current developments by site name and number of units in tabular form. [12610/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Housing for All Strategy delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system, with an ambitious target of 300,000 homes over the next decade for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing. 54,000 affordable home interventions will be delivered between now and 2030 to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks. 

Delivery of affordable housing, in accordance with the schemes set out in the Affordable Housing Act, 2021 and the funding being made available, will be underpinned by local authorities' Housing Delivery Action Plans. Local authorities, including both Cork City Council and Cork County Council, submitted their Plans to me in December 2021. The Plans allow each local authority to assess the level of demand with affordability constraint in their area based on the Housing Need and Demand Assessment and plan provision accordingly. The Plans are being revised and updated by local authorities in the light of ongoing engagement and clarifications and I expect that they will be ready for publication by local authorities before the summer. They will provide a comprehensive overview of projected delivery of affordable housing in Cork. 

Funding is made available by Government to assist local authority and Approved Housing Body delivery of affordable housing, for purchase and rent, through the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF), previously known as the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF), and the Cost Rental Equity Loan. The SSF supported affordable housing development at Boherboy Road will be made available for affordable purchase shortly and a number of AHF and Cost RentaL Equality Loan applications for developments in Cork are at various stages of funding application and approval. 

In terms of delivery of affordable housing in Cork by the LDA, I am happy to inform the Deputy that the development of a site at St Kevin's Hospital is currently being progressed. This 14.5 acre site is expected to deliver 119 affordable purchase and 119 Cost Rental homes. The LDA have advised my Department that enabling works will commence shortly and that the first homes are expected to be available in 2023.