Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 October 2005
692 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the income limits for the capital assistance scheme for social housing; when these limits were last revised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30765/05]
View answer
I assume the question refers to the unit cost limits under the voluntary housing capital assistance scheme, which were last revised in 2001. The information requested is set out in the following table:
|
Unit Rate |
Rural |
Urban* |
Certain offshore Islands |
|
€ |
€ |
€ |
|
|
Category 1 (1/2 person units) |
88,900 |
120,700 |
114,300 |
|
Category 2 (3 or more person units) |
108,000 |
139,700 |
120,700 |
|
Category 3 (Traveller Bays) |
108,000 |
139,700 |
120,700 |
*Urban — (5 County Boroughs & Fingal, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown & South Dublin Councils).
693 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he is on target in supporting the voluntary housing sector to build up to 4,000 new homes per annum by 2006 as stated in the 2002 programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30766/05]
View answer
The Government is fully committed to developing and expanding the voluntary and co-operative housing sector by supplying the necessary financial resources and support to enable it to become an important and significant force and provider in the housing area. Provision of funding for the schemes has been increased significantly from €44 million in 1999 to €237 million in 2005. As a result, there has been a steady increase in output by the sector from a level of 580 units in 1999 and 950 in 2000 to reach a record output of over 1,600 units in 2004.
In conjunction with the increased funding, my Department has also initiated the development by local authorities of five-year action plans, commencing in 2004, for the delivery of social and affordable housing, including the voluntary programme, to ensure a systematic and integrated approach to the effective use of these resources. It is anticipated that the output by the sector will reach the targets contained in the action plans.
