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Local Authority Housing Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 December 2013

Thursday, 5 December 2013

Questions (158, 163, 164)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

158. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the measures he is taking to increase the supply of housing in Dublin and to reduce house prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52353/13]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

163. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which the seriousness of the housing crisis in respect of local authority housing is appreciated as it affects Dublin and adjoining counties including Kildare; if it is expected to take any specific action to address this issue to the extent of meeting the accommodation needs of a sizable number of those of the local authority waiting lists in these areas in the short and medium term in view of the hardship caused by escalating rents, a shortage of available accommodation and increased numbers coming onto the housing lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52397/13]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

164. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the steps to be taken in the short term to address the ever increasing local authority housing emergency affecting County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52398/13]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 158, 163 and 164 together.

The Government’s housing policy statement, published in June 2011, clearly identifies that the priority for Government is to meet the most acute needs of households applying for social housing support in all local authority areas. I am determined to ensure that the social housing programme is optimised in terms of resources and focus to maximise the response to social housing need. This must be achieved in a context in which public expenditure necessarily continues to be constrained. Nonetheless, in July 2012 I announced details of a three-year funding programme of €100 million to deliver some 800 new units of voluntary and local authority owned social housing.

In addition to the €525.8 million in housing programme expenditure provided for in my Department’s Abridged Estimate for 2014, Budget 2014 provides a further €50 million to fund infrastructural investment primarily in the housing area, including €30 million for the State house building programme; €10 million for an unfinished housing estate resolution project; and an additional €10 million for housing adaptation grants. When this is taken into account, funding for housing for next year is effectively maintained at 2013 levels.

Delivery of social housing continues to be 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 include options to purchase, build to lease and the sourcing of loan finance by approved housing bodies for construction and acquisition. In addition, my Department and the Housing Agency are engaged with NAMA to ensure continued delivery of housing units for social purposes. Approved Housing Bodies will also play a key role in 2014 in the delivery of social housing and in particular in their capacity to attract external financial investment.

In spite of our challenging economic circumstances, I expect the final output across all social housing programmes for 2013 to be in the region of 5,000 new housing units, and it is provisionally estimated that in the region of 5,000 units will also be provided for social housing in 2014.

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