Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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132. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the action he is taking in relation to a lack of services delaying the provision of housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6983/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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In October 2021, the Government published Housing for All, our housing plan to 2030. The plan sets out over four pathways a series of actions to achieve a steady supply of housing in the right locations and with economic, social and environmental sustainability built into the system. The plan addresses the actions needed to support delivery under the four pathways and to enable a sustainable housing system. This includes (inter alia) supporting critical infrastructure development in the transport, communications, electricity and water sectors, noting that a properly functioning housing sector is “dependent on critical infrastructure”.

Section 5.6 of Housing for All notes that a critical supporting infrastructure, including transport, utility supplies and communication networks, must be in place and includes an objective to “Support Critical Infrastructure Development” (Objective 26).

The most recent Housing for All progress report was published in Q4 2023. Action 43 of the progress report states that a specific working group is to be convened to ensure the timely delivery of utilities and infrastructure required to support housing development with updates to be reported to the Public Service Delivery Working Group on a quarterly basis.

The working group, established in December 2023, comprises my Department, Uisce Éireann, EirGrid, ESB Networks, the Local Government Management Agency, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the National Transport Agency. One of the main objectives of the group is to coordinate delivery programmes and identifying key enablers and barriers to infrastructure and utilities provision with a view to supporting Housing for All priorities and informing policy and investment frameworks across all levels of government. The working group will meet on a quarterly basis and report to the Public Service Delivery Working Group on a quarterly basis.

Each planning authority adopts a development plan, required to be consistent with the National Planning Framework and the relevant Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy, which sets out the 6 year plan for development in each local authority area and thereby facilitates alignment with infrastructure provision. Planning authorities include objectives in their development plan relating to housing, including the zoning of land for residential use, and relating to the provision of infrastructure required to support housing. The making of a development plan is a reserved function of the elected members of each planning authority.

Uisce Éireann provides quarterly updates to my Department in relation to water and wastewater connections activity through the Housing for All reporting structures. Uisce Éireann connection-related activity for the full year of 2023 can be found at: www.water.ie/connections/ and annually updated capacity registers for water and wastewater can be found at : Capacity Registers | Connections | Uisce Éireann (formerly Irish Water).

The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications has responsibility for matters relating to electricity supply and the Minister for Transport has responsibility for matters relating to transport.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Under Housing for All, the Government has targeted the delivery of 28,500 new affordable homes from 2022 to 2026, to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.

Clare County Council has prepared and published its own 5-year Housing Delivery Action Plan to meet social and affordable housing need and targets for delivery in the county. While Clare does not have a specific affordability target, it has identified localised affordability need in key urban locations where new households being formed would not be able to access housing for purchase or rent at prices/rents affordable to them.

The Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) is open and available to support all local authorities to address affordability needs identified in their area.

In this context, my Department has been liaising with Clare County Council in the development of its affordable housing delivery programme to respond appropriately to identified need in its area.

To date Clare County Council has received funding approval from the AHF to assist in the delivery of 10 affordable purchase homes at Shannon. A further application for a proposed affordable purchase scheme at Ennis was received by my Department in December last and is currently under assessment. My Department, along with the Housing Agency and the Housing Delivery Coordination Office of the Local Government Management Agency will continue to advise and support the Council in respect of its planned response to affordable housing needs in its area.