Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 December 2014
113. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there will be a minimum allocation for social housing on all developments above 800 sq. m. in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40958/14]
View answerAt present, private developers are required under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, to ensure that 20% of land zoned for residential and other uses, is reserved for social or affordable housing. Informed by a recent review of the Part V provisions, which included a public consultation process, my Department has published the General Scheme of the Planning and Development (No. 1) Bill 2014 which is available on my Department’s website at the following link:http://www.environ.ie/en/PublicationsDocuments/FileDownLoad,39512,en.pdf.
The Bill is in the process of being drafted with a view to enactment in 2015.
The General Scheme provides that, in future, the focus of Part V will be on social housing, with a requirement for up to 10% social housing in developments in excess of 9 units. In the operation of these revised Part V arrangements, the priority will be to secure social housing units on-site; the monetary alternative in lieu of social housing is to be discontinued.
It is proposed that the new Part V arrangements may be applied retrospectively to existing planning permissions where the developer and the planning authority are in agreement. I believe that this approach will encourage the commencement of private developments that might not have commenced otherwise and as a consequence will lead to an increased social housing gain from private developments.
