Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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76. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government how many new homes have been completed so far this year; how many new homes have seen construction start; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53855/23]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 76 together.

At its core, Housing for All is about significantly increasing the supply of housing of the right type, in the right place, and at an affordable price.

To this end, the plan comprises a suite of priority measures to transform our housing system, secure its sustainability into the future and support the delivery of more than 300,000 new homes by 2030. This will see an average of 33,000 new homes delivered for each year of the plan, rising to more than 40,000 per year by the end of the decade.

Since Housing for All was launched in 2021, there has been a substantial uplift in the amount of new homes being delivered, with some 29,750 new homes delivered in 2022. And, despite the significant economic headwinds over the past 12 to 18 months, new supply has gone from strength to strength. More than 22,400 new homes have been delivered between January and September this year, more than that delivered in the whole of 2019, 2020 or 2021.

The outlook for next year is equally promising, with the substantial increase in supply this year and last expected to be maintained into 2024. Already this year, between January and October, some 26,500 or so new homes have commenced construction nationwide, an increase of 16.5% on the same period last year.

This progress is being mirrored at local level around the country. More than 150 new homes have been completed in Carlow between January and September, on par with delivery in 2021 and 2022.

At the same time, more than 380 new homes have been commenced in Carlow this year to end-October. This is an increase of 62% on the same period last year and more than in any calendar year since the data series commenced in 2014.

With rolling 12-month commencements continuing to increase month-on-month since their dip in mid-2022, I am optimistic we will reach next year's target of 33,450 new homes. Indeed, sectoral forecasts for next year suggest new home delivery will be at its highest level for many years, with some already forecasting that that figure could be surpassed by around a thousand new homes in 2024.

Housing for All is clearly delivering and I am confident the funding and targeted schemes committed to under plan will continue to support an increasing supply of affordable housing across all tenures, whether social, private rented or private purchase.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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12. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps his Department is taking to ensure affordable housing is provided in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53596/23]

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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23. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for an update on the delivery of housing on public owned sites in Dublin 9 and Dublin 11. [54216/23]

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 23 together.

Under Housing for All, the Government has targeted delivery of 47,600 new build social homes; 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing, and 28,500 new affordable homes from 2022 to 2026.

Each local authority has prepared its own 5-year Housing Delivery Action Plan setting out their planned social and affordable housing delivery . 18 local authorities, including Dublin City Council, were asked to include planned affordable housing delivery, in line with Affordable Housing delivery targets assigned in March 2022. The Plans for Cavan, Monaghan and Dublin City are available on the websites of the local authorities concerned.

Cavan and Monaghan do not have affordable housing targets as the assessed level of affordably constrained need is not high in either county as house prices are below the national median. However, support from the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) is available to both counties should localised affordability needs occur. Neither county has applied for AHF assistance to date. Assistance with developing schemes is available from my Department, the LGMA and the Housing Agency if required.

I anticipate that the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, which includes funding for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and the Ready to Build Scheme, will prove valuable in addressing overall affordability needs in Cavan and Monaghan and both authorities have vacant homes officers in place who can assist the public with bringing vacant homes back into use, with up to €70,000 in grant support available to do so.

As regards Dublin City, it does have a number of large mixed tenure sites that it is developing and in respect of the particular areas of Dublin 9 and Dublin 11, funding is in place to support a significant mixed tenure development of 853 housing units, including 343 social, 340 cost rental and 170 affordable purchase units at Oscar Traynor Road. The site is being prepared to commence construction, with delivery expected over 2024 to 2027. Affordable Housing Fund approval is also in place to support the delivery of 12 new affordable purchase homes at Poppintree, Ballymun in 2024.

Comprehensive programme level statistics covering social and affordable housing delivery programmes are published quarterly. Data up to and including the second quarter of 2023 is available on the Department’s website.

The Affordable Delivery reports published include First Home scheme data and Cavan, Dublin City and Monaghan have seen significant early signs of take-up of this scheme which supports first time buyers to make a new home affordable for them.

Significant progress is being made to deliver the Government's ambitious social and affordable housing targets under Housing for All, and my Department is working to further accelerate delivery with local authorities, AHBs, the LDA, and via the First Home scheme.