Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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94. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government whether he, the Department or the Gníomhaireacht Forbartha Talún has had any negotiations or discussions with institutional land owners in Dublin 8, 10 or 12 (details supplied) in relation to purchasing, swapping or co-developing their land or part thereof for social, affordable rental, affordable purchase and private housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11795/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Government maintains a strong focus on the use of vacant and underutilised public land for housing having agreed the transfer of 37 sites to the Land Development Agency (LDA) for the development of affordable and social housing.

The Land Development Agency Act 2021 (the Act) was commenced in July 2021, with a number of objectives including the identification and assessment of relevant public land in order to increase the amount of land available for the provision of housing.

The Act requires the LDA to establish and maintain a Register of Relevant Lands and furnish to Government, at two yearly intervals, a Report on Relevant Public Land. These facilitate and support the identification and assessment of the potential of relevant public land for the provision of affordable and social housing both now, and in the future. Section 6.2 of the 1st Report sets out the lands that were offered to the LDA, including information on the owner of the land, its location, and whether the LDA decided to accept the land or not.

Furthermore, in accordance with Section 53 of the Act, a relevant public body is not permitted to dispose of relevant public land unless the body has given prior notice, and offered the land for sale to the LDA. This requirement ensures that any relevant public land being disposed of is assessed to determine whether it is suitable for the purposes of the Act, primarily the provision of affordable and social housing.

The LDA, as required by Section 52 of the Act, are in the process of completing the 2nd Report on Relevant Public Land, which will provide information on Relevant Public Lands in Dublin 8, 10 or 12 and contain an update of land offered by relevant public bodies. The 2nd Report will be furnished to Government for their consideration, before being published and made available on the LDA website, www.lda.ie.

The Department and the LDA have regular and ongoing engagement with relevant public bodies in respect of relevant public lands. There have been ongoing discussions with such institutional owners as are also relevant public bodies on relevant public lands. Where such owners are not relevant public bodies, my Department has not had any engagement. Details of whether the LDA has had any engagement with those specified which are not relevant public bodies may be available from the LDA.

Finally, my Department has no direct role in acquiring property or land.