Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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219. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the capital cost ceilings for each local authority for the Social Housing Investment Programme, part V, turnkey and acquisitions in tabular form; and if these ceilings have been reviewed recently or are in the process of being reviewed. [13678/22]

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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220. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of social housing developments and units currently delayed due to the cost being above the capital cost ceilings in tabular form. [13679/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 219 and 220 together.

The current cost guidelines for the acquisition of houses and apartments for social housing use were updated and issued to local authorities in May 2021. A copy of these, in tabular format will be provided to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders. The guidelines are generally reviewed annually and the intention is to conduct a further review in Q2 of 2022.

It is not the case that social housing developments are delayed due to costs being above the Unit Cost Ceilings (UCCs) for social housing construction projects. The range of social housing developments being advanced will always include projects with costs that are, on occasion, below or above the Department’s issued UCCs. As UCCs are based on previously tendered social housing construction projects, they act as useful guide costs for local authorities and AHBs to benchmark their projects against.

However, it is understood by all involved in advancing social housing projects that a range of factors can impact on the costs for individual projects. Project-specific issues will always arise and will be central to how a project can be advanced and the costs for same. These factors are part of the regular engagement that happens between my Department and local authorities/AHBs which is focussed on facilitating the earliest possible delivery of new social homes that are both high quality and value for money.

To that end, as well as sharing UCCs with local authorities, my Department has previously shared outline specifications for new social housing and has also recently issued a new 'Design Manual' which will guide local authorities, AHBs and their Design Teams/consultants, on the design of social housing site layouts and the internal layouts of individual social homes.