Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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513. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for a detailed update on the status of PPP bundles 4,5,6 and 7, given the withdrawal of funding for bundle 3; and whether there is a risk that costs will limit delivery of any projects in future, as happened with bundle 3. [32296/25]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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514. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for an update on the impact of delays to delivery of PPP bundle 3 on social housing delivery in Dublin northwest, where 183 social homes are now delayed, representing a significant proportion of projected delivery over the next two years. [32297/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 513 and 514 together.

The clear focus of this Government is to increase the supply of new build social and affordable homes. This is key to addressing the housing challenge and in particular preventing and ultimately eliminating long term homelessness, and that unquestionably must be the priority for all local authorities.

The social housing PPP programme was announced in 2014 aiming to deliver circa 1,500 units in three phases (Bundles 1 –3) with 25-year maintenance and tenancy management commitments before transferring to local authorities. In 2021, the Housing for All plan extended the initiative, identifying Bundles 4 –7 to deliver approximately 2,850 additional units.

Bundles 1 & 2 completed in 2021 delivered 999 new social homes across 8 counties and Bundle 3 targeted the delivery of a further 486 social homes across 6 sites in 4 Local Authority areas.

After conducting a review of the proposed costs of Bundle 3 of the Social Housing PPP programme, my Department has decided not to proceed to contract award in the current procurement process for the Social Housing Bundle 3 PPP project. This is due to the overall costs of the Bundle 3 project, which are now considered too high.

All sites within the Bundle 3 project have full planning permission and all of them will be delivered by way of alternative procurement and delivery strategies.

In light of the costs on Bundle 3, I have asked my Department to initiate, with the help of the NDFA, a review of Bundles 4 -7 to determine the most appropriate procurement and delivery strategy in order to ensure these homes are delivered and the most efficient and effective use of the available public resources.