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 nine year period of the plan to 2030. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes to be facilitated by Local Authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through First Home, a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.

Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. Many areas of cities, towns and villages of all sizes face the blight of vacant properties, which, if brought back into use, could add real vibrancy and provide new accommodation in those areas.

The Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund is a key initiative which underpins these policy objectives and includes the Ready to Build Scheme whereby local authorities will make serviced sites in towns and villages available at a discounted rate to individual purchasers to self-build their own home.

It is intended that the local authority will either supply existing sites in their control or purchase sites and make them available for development by providing services and access to the sites concerned.The level of discount to the individual will depend on the level of servicing cost incurred by the local authority before the sale of the site but will not exceed €30,000. The amount of such discount will be reflected in the sale price of the site to the purchaser.

All available sites will be advertised publicly by the relevant local authority and applications will be made to the Vacant Homes Officer in each local authority.

My Department is currently engaging with local authorities in respect of the identification of sites suitable for the Ready to Build scheme.

Separate to this, the Affordable Housing Fund is available to assist local authorities towards meeting the development costs of making homes available for affordable purchase or cost rental purposes, whether local authorities own land suitable for developing schemes or are in a position to enter into affordable housing delivery arrangements with private developers. I have also made funding available to local authorities to buy suitable land for early delivery of social and affordable housing through a Land Acquisition Fund administered by the Housing Agency.