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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Feb 2003

Vol. 560 No. 3

Written Answers. - Housing Supply.

Ciarán Cuffe

Question:

136 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the measures he intends to take to ensure that under-occupied lands owned by the State and institutions are released for housing purposes. [2458/03]

As a general principle, the Government is committed to the identification of lands in public ownership which may be suitable for housing projects. In 2000, the Government decided to establish a national public property register, under the aegis of the Department of Finance. The objective of this register is to assemble information on lands and buildings in the ownership of Departments and State agencies, including non-commercial State bodies, health boards, local authorities and certain education bodies in order to identify under utilised land and to provide a basis for the consideration of the appropriate use of these resources.

Land which is suitable for housing could either be sold to local authorities for social and affordable housing or sold for private housing with the revenues used to support other State services. In the latter case, the provisions of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2002 in relation to social and affordable housing would apply.

My Department has encouraged local authorities to acquire land in order to address increasing housing need. Local authorities have borrowed some €430 million since 1999 for land acquisition for housing, including land acquired from public agencies.

Question No. 137 answered with Question No. 123.

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