Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 November 2013
461. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will list the total number of tier three housing associations here; the number of which that are allowed to raise finance themselves; the number which must get approval to bid for external sources of funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49297/13]
View answer462. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he will reform the rules governing access to external funding by tier three housing associations to allow greater funds be leveraged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49298/13]
View answer463. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a new regulatory framework is being prepared for the operation of tier three housing associations; if he has looked to the Welsh model as a model of best practice; if any other countries are being investigated for regulatory examples; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49299/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 461 to 463, inclusive, together.
Approved housing bodies are organisations approved under section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992 to provide social housing support in conjunction with local authorities. There are just over 500 organisations currently listed as approved housing bodies. My Department is currently developing a regulatory framework for the sector. A landmark first step in this regard was the publication on 15 July 2013 of Building for the Future , a voluntary regulation code for the sector that is available on my Department’s website at www.environ.ie. The code proposes three tiers or organisational classifications, of which tier 3 includes the largest organisations, i.e. those bodies with more than 300 housing units or with development plans in place to provide significantly more units. To date, just under 70 approved housing bodies have signed up to the voluntary regulation code, of which five would be classified as tier 3. My Department does not impose restrictions on approved housing bodies seeking to raise finance from external sources. However, the development of a regulatory framework is expected to facilitate enhanced access to external funding sources. The voluntary regulation code sets out key governance, management and financial principles that apply to approved housing bodies. Organisations signing up to the code must sign a Charter of Commitments relevant to their scale and development plans. My Department is also working in partnership with the sector to develop a specific additional financial chapter to be appended to the VRC that will, inter alia , set out key financial management rules and principles. The Department, together with the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency, is working with the Irish Council for Social Housing and NABCO, the National Association of Building Co-operatives, to maximise engagement with the voluntary process. In the final analysis, the voluntary regulation code constitutes a foundation for the development of a statutory regulatory system, and my Department is working with partners in the sector in that regard. As part of this work, models of best practice for regulation of the sector are being examined, including those in place in the UK.
