Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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285. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of Government annual housing targets which have been met as of September 2025 in each local authority to date; the councils that are on track and those which are falling behind; and the interventions planned to address under-performance ahead of year-end. [49510/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority. This includes annual data on delivery against targets. This data is available to the end of Q1 2025, and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/. Data for Q2 2025 is currently being collated and will be published shortly.

My Department also publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR), which provides details of social housing developments and their location that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and tender processes. The latest Construction Status Report shows that the social housing pipeline is strong and continues to grow with 11,504 social homes currently onsite with an additional 13,953 homes at design and tender stage. In Quarter 1 2025, 50 new construction schemes (875 homes) were added to the pipeline. The most recent publication was for Quarter 1 2025. All CSRs are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/cb885-social-housing-construction-projects-status-reports/.

A version of the CSR file can also be downloaded for analysis by local authority, location etc. at this link: www.opendata.housing.gov.ie/dataset/social-housing-construction-status-report-q1-2025.

A number of initiatives have been introduced to support local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies increase the delivery of social and affordable houing.

Amendments to Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 were introduced via the Affordable Housing Act 2021 to increase the contribution under Part V from 10% to 20% to include affordable and cost rental housing. Local authorities are free to decide how the 20% Part V contribution is broken down in terms of social and affordable housing (with a minimum 10% social housing). This is done in line with the local authorities housing need as identified in its Housing Strategy made as part of its Development Plan. Part V negotiations are solely a matter for the relevant local authority operating within the Guidelines.

A central element of Housing for All is to build institutional capacity. As part of the measures to support this, Housing for All commits to strengthen the capacity of local authorities to both programme manage and initiate, design, plan, develop and manage housing projects and recognises that this requires the resourcing of the housing services of local authorities. More than 250 additional housing posts have been approved in local authorities nationally to deliver social housing.

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) has been identified as a key measure to address increased housing delivery and methods to support increased use of MMC are set out in Pathway 5 of Housing for All. In July 2023 the Roadmap for increased adoption of MMC in Public Housing delivery was published and sets out recommendations to progress the most advanced and efficient construction methods in the delivery of housing.

The Housing for All Land Acquisition Fund was established in 2022 to support local authorities to acquire land to deliver new build social housing schemes and this was extended in 2024 to include land for affordable housing. The fund has an overall allocation of €239m and is managed by the Housing Agency.

My Department has embedded the requirement to adopt a standardised approach for all Social Housing projects through adoption of the Design Manual for Quality Housing and Employers Requirements. Standard internal layouts and CAD Drawings are available to design teams. This is promoting a consistent approach nationally; it is decreasing the amount of time spent on reviewing proposals to achieve value for money; it is shortening detailed design phases; and it allows for a more efficient tender process.

In relation to affordable housing, the Government has committed to introduce a new national housing plan to follow "Housing for All", including a new Starter Home programme across the public, private and AHB sector which promotes home ownership and secures long-term rental tenures for young people and fresh start applicants. My Department is currently examining that commitment, its implementation and potential time frame within the context of a new national housing plan.

While work is being undertaken to progress a new plan, building on the progress already made to date, the measures detailed in Housing for All will continue to be progressed to accelerate and increase delivery of secure, affordable housing.

Under Housing for All, the affordable housing delivery target for 2025 is 6,400 and a very strong pipeline is in place across our delivery partners, including Local Authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency and the First Home Scheme. Since launch, over 14,500 affordable housing supports have been delivered by our various delivery partners.

My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and delivery partners in each local authority area. Data for the years 2022 up to Q1 2025 is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/?#affordable-housing-delivery.

Building on this progress, my Department will continue to engage with all delivery partners to further the development of the affordable housing delivery pipeline for 2025 and beyond, and to ensure that the affordable housing programme responds effectively to the affordable housing needs identified at a local level.