Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1094. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government whether his Department has reviewed the governance structures of housing delivery agencies to ensure they are aligned with measurable output targets, rather than process-based metrics; and if so, the details of that review. [59223/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Targets for social and affordable housing delivery are issued at a local authority level rather than to specific delivery partners. Responsibility for the delivery of the housing targets set under Housing for All rests with the individual local authorities who are best placed to make decisions on potential sites for development in conjunction with their delivery partners.

My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis on social and affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and the Land Development Agency (LDA) in each local authority. This data is available to the end of Q2 2025 and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/collections/overall-social-and-affordable-housing-provision/

The statutory governance requirements for local government are set down in legislation, regulations, and other statutory instruments, notably the Local Government Act 2001 (extensively amended and updated by the Local Government Reform Act 2014), which is the key statute supporting the structures, powers, functions, and duties of local government in Ireland.

The Local Government Reform Act 2014 strengthened the governance arrangements at local government level and established the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) as an independent statutory body to provide oversight of local authorities in Ireland. NOAC also publishes an annual Local Authority Performance Indicator Report. The most recent report, relating to 2024, is available on the NOAC website at the following link: www.noac.ie/noac_publications/report-77-noac-performance-indicator-report-2024/

Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities having full responsibility under law for the performance of their functions and the discharge of their governance and other responsibilities.

In regards to the governance of AHBs, the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) is an independent body established on 1 February 2021 for the purposes of regulation of the AHB sector. AHBRA has published sets of standards for AHBs under their regulatory framework. There are four standards which AHBs are expected to adhere to, which include a Governance Standard. Details of the Standards are published on AHBRA’s website at: www.ahbregulator.ie/for-ahbs/about-the-standards/

The LDA operates as a commercial state body under the aegis of my Department. Its governance framework is structured to ensure accountability, transparency and alignment with national housing priorities, including the delivery of affordable and sustainable housing. The LDA Board provides strategic oversight, approves corporate plans and monitors performance against key objectives.

My Department has responsibility for overall governance and oversight, including reviewing corporate performance, financial management and alignment with Government housing strategies such as Housing for All. This oversight ensures that the LDA operates efficiently with clear measurable outputs and delivers housing projects in line with national objectives while maintaining compliance with statutory obligations and public sector accountability standards.