Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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155. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the extent to which he can identify through the various local authorities suitably developed sites on which builders can be contracted to provide extra homes in the shortest possible time and utilising variations of housing proposals to achieve these including modular homes, log cabins as well as conventional methods to provide houses for both those on local authority waiting lists and those who have so far failed to qualify for a mortgage or an affordable house; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3636/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Housing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the Land Development Agency and €5bn funding through the Housing Finance Agency.

Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes; 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing and 28,500 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2026. In September 2021, I issued social housing targets to each local authority for the period 2022-2026.

A key action of Housing for All is that local authorities developed and submitted Housing Delivery Action Plans to include details of social and affordable housing delivery. The Plans set out details of both social and affordable housing delivery as appropriate over the period 2022-2026, in line with targets set under Housing for All. The Plans also include details of land available to deliver housing in addition to land acquisition requirements.

Modern methods of construction (MMC) has been identified as a key measure to address increased housing delivery and methods to support increased use of MMC are set out in Pathway 5 of Housing for All. The Housing for All Action Plan Update and Quarter 3 2022 Progress Report, which was published on 2 November, includes a new action to develop a roadmap with targets for increased use of MMC in public housing.

Modern Methods of Construction is used to describe a range of offsite manufacturing and innovative onsite techniques that provide alternatives to traditional house building. Modern Methods of Construction can be completed dwelling units manufactured in a factory setting and transported to site, or panelised components manufactured in a factory and assembled on site. All Modern Methods of Construction systems must be of a high quality, comply with all requirements of the Building Regulations and have a 60 year durability

My Department is now working closely with the local authorities to increase the use of MMC in social and affordable housing.