Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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206. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is aware of the limited finance options available through pillar banks for those seeking home ownership and building modular homes with certified engineers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10615/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Modern Methods of Construction has been identified as a key measure to address the different housing needs in Ireland and methods to support the development of MMC in Ireland are set out in Housing for All Pathway 5.  Modern methods of construction have the potential to help boost productivity and increase efficiency (avoid waste) in the construction sector. The coordination of activities to promote MMC adoption is being led by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE).

Modern Methods of Construction in the housing context can be grouped as follows:

- Completed volumetric dwelling units, factory-manufactured and delivered to site

- Panellised components, such as walls, roofs, and floors, factory-manufactured and assembled on site; and

- Other innovative approaches to improve onsite productivity across materials and process.

All new dwellings must comply with building regulations and have a 60 year durability. The minimum performance requirements that a building must achieve are set out in the second schedule to the building regulations. These requirements are set out in 12 parts (classified as Parts A to M).  Building regulations are performance based and technology/material neutral.

Part D (Materials and Workmanship) requires that all works should be carried out in a workmanlike manner using “proper materials...which are fit for the use for which they are intended and for the conditions in which they are to be used” to ensure compliance with the Building Regulations.

The primary responsibility for compliance with the Building Regulations rests with the designers, builders and owners of buildings.

For new innovative products or systems, not covered by existing standards, compliance with the Building Regulations can be demonstrated by 3rd party certification by an independent approval body, such as National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) Agrément.

My Department does not hold information on the financing options available in relation to the specific types of building referred to in the Question.  Lending policy is a matter for the individual financial institutions and my Department has no role in the regulation of lending policy.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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207. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of modular or rapid build homes constructed in 2022; if he will detail in tabular form the number for each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10616/23]

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 an average of 10,000 new build social homes each year in the period to 2030.  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.

Data in relation to new dwelling completions is published by the CSO on a quarterly basis and can be accessed via the following link: www.cso.ie/en/statistics/buildingandconstruction/newdwellingcompletions/

While my Department does not hold details on the various construction processes used in the delivery of new homes,  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 development of MMC will improve productivity in construction and increase efficiency in residential construction. 

The Housing for All Action Plan Update, which was published on 2 November 2022, includes a new action to develop a roadmap with targets for increased use of MMC in public housing. My Department is now working closely with the local authorities to increase the use of MMC in social and affordable housing.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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208. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the reason Louth County Council is no longer taking properties for long-term lease, further to departmental advice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10624/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Under Housing for All the Government plans to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 homes per year over the next decade. Over 300,000 new homes will be built by the end of 2030, including a projected 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes.

This includes the delivery of 47,600 new build social homes in the period 2022-2026. 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. 

Housing for All sets out that there will a managed phasing out of new long term leasing projects over the lifetime of the plan. It is envisaged that 3,500 units will be delivered through long term leasing from 2022 to 2025. The number of new entrants and projects into the long term leasing scheme is reducing over the lifetime of the plan; tapering down from a target of 1,300 units in 2022 to 200 units in 2025.

As such, Housing for All leasing targets were assigned to 13 Local Authorities to deliver 3,500 social homes nationally through long term leasing from 2022 to 2025. Most of these targets are now subscribed with agreed proposals. Louth County Council were assigned a target of 34 units under Housing for All. To the end of Q3 2022 Louth County Council delivered 11 units through long term leasing and the balance of Louth County Council's long term leasing target was fully subscribed.

Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent)
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209. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of houses built in each county in 2021 and 2022, in tabular form. [10691/23]

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.

Data in relation to new dwelling completions is published by the CSO on a quarterly basis and can be accessed via the following link: www.cso.ie/en/statistics/buildingandconstruction/newdwellingcompletions/