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Local Authority Housing Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 November 2012

Tuesday, 6 November 2012

Questions (730, 760, 761)

Tom Fleming

Question:

730. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of qualified housing applicants in each local authority for social housing; the total number of housing applicants; the measures he will take to address the housing crisis here; when the National Assets Management Agency properties will be released to local authorities; the format that this will take; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48558/12]

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Tom Fleming

Question:

760. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the measures he proposes to take to address the housing situation in County Kerry; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are almost 5,000 qualified housing applicants between the three town councils and Kerry County Council; if his further attention has been drawn to the fact that his Department has informed Kerry County Council that they will only receive funding to construct three local authority houses over the next three years; when the National Assets Management Agency properties will be released to local authorities; the format this will take; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48732/12]

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Tom Fleming

Question:

761. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the discussions and negotiations he has had with the National Management Agency regarding the release of National Assets Management Agency properties for social housing; when Kerry County Council and the three town councils will be informed of their allocation as there is now a housing crisis in the county with almost 5,000 qualified housing applicants on the waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48733/12]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 730, 760 and 761 together.

My Department does not hold information on the number of households on local authorities’ waiting lists. This figure continuously fluctuates as households are allocated housing and new households apply for housing support. Detailed information on the latest statutory assessment of housing need, carried out in March 2011 and including a breakdown by housing authority, is available on my Department’s website – www.environ.ie or on the Housing Agency’s website at www.housing.ie. My Department intends to carry a full Housing Needs Assessment in 2013, and will publish the results as soon as possible thereafter. In terms of the delivery of social housing, the Government’s housing policy statement, published in June 2011, clearly identifies that the priority for Government will be to meet the most acute needs of households applying for social housing support.

Delivery of social housing has been significantly facilitated through more flexible funding models such as the Rental Accommodation Scheme and leasing, but the Government is also committed to developing other funding mechanisms that will increase the supply of permanent new social housing. Such mechanisms will include options to purchase, build to lease and the sourcing of loan finance by approved housing bodies for construction and acquisition. There is also obvious potential, across a range of housing programmes, for the Government’s objective of sourcing and providing suitable residential units for use as social housing to be aligned with the commercial objectives of the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA).

The Department recently advised Kerry County Council that funding will be provided for the construction of three single instance rural dwellings over the period 2012 to 2014. Capital allocations to Kerry County Council under the range of measures under the social housing investment programme in 2013 will be considered in the context of the budgetary provision for housing for 2013.

I refer to the reply to Questions Nos 53 of 23 October and 440 of 16 of October respectively, for the most up to date information in relation to the delivery of NAMA units generally and in relation to units in Kerry in particular.

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