Written answers

Tuesday, 11 July 2023

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Housing Provision

Photo of Thomas GouldThomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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401. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the total number of affordable homes that have been built in Cork city in each of the past five years; the total amount planned for 2023; the total funding allocated each year to the local authority to supply affordable housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34069/23]

Photo of Thomas GouldThomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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402. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he has engaged with Cork County Council given its announcement that it would not meet social housing targets for 2023; whether there is a plan to resolve this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34070/23]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is supporting local authorities in the delivery of their social housing targets under Housing For All through a range of different initiatives and schemes, including the construction of social homes on their own lands, construction delivery in conjunction with approved housing bodies and also, local authorities are working in partnership with private developers to deliver social housing construction through turnkey arrangements.

While the management of the social housing delivery programmes is a matter for individual local authorities, my Department works closely with relevant stakeholders to accelerate delivery and further expand pipelines. In parallel with developing pipelines for delivery, ensuring that progress and delivery on ongoing projects remains on track is critical.

My Department engages with all local authorities on a regular basis regarding the delivery of social housing. This includes structured quarterly meetings to review progress and in the case of Cork County Council, monthly meetings are held. My officials have met with the Council on a number of occasions this year, with further meetings planned.

I am aware of a potential shortfall in Cork County Council meeting its targets for 2023 and I have instructed my Department to continue to work with the Council to identify all possible solutions to address this matter. My Department will continue to monitor the situation and will take all relevant steps necessary, as appropriate, to support the Council to meet its 2023 target.

Photo of Thomas GouldThomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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403. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the average length of time spent on the social housing list in Cork city; the plans to reduce these times; the total number on the social housing list for each of the past 12 months and each month of 2023 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34071/23]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department does not hold data in relation to the average length of time spent on the social housing list. However, details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recently published summary for all counties, conducted in November 2022, is available at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/62486-summary-of-social-housing-assessments/.

There were 3,886 households qualified for social housing in Cork City whose need was unmet in 2022.

Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022-2026. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new build projects delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).

Earlier this year, I announced further measures to increase the supply of social homes including:

  • an increase in the number of social housing acquisitions to 1,500 in 2023 to reduce the number of households at risk of homelessness;
  • an additional 1,000 homes through Targeted Leasing initiatives in 2023 and 2024; and
  • the amendment of the Capital Advance Leasing Facility used by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to assist them in their efforts in delivering social homes
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity. This data is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link:www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/. This provides information for a number of categories of social housing delivery in terms of the various delivery streams and also contains the targets for each local authority during each year of the programme.

In addition, Cork City Council’s Housing Delivery Action Plan, which sets out details of social and affordable housing delivery in the period 2022-2026, is available on the Council’s website at cork-city-council-housing-delivery-action-plan.pdf (corkcity.ie).

While the oversight and management of the housing waiting list, including the allocation of tenancies, is a matter solely for the local authority, I expect the delivery of these homes to contribute significantly to meeting the accommodation needs of households on the Council's waiting list.

Photo of Thomas GouldThomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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404. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the total number of applicants for Rebuilding Ireland home loans or local authority home loans from Cork; the total number that have been successful; the total number that have been refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34072/23]

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