Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 December 2014
433. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide in tabular form the number of Part V social and affordable units which are available on a county basis, but which have not been as yet acquired by the relevant local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47175/14]
View answerThe information requested is not available in my Department. Under the existing Part V provisions, developers are currently required to ensure that 20% of land zoned for residential, and other uses, shall be reserved for social or affordable housing. However, with the substantial fall off in private construction, very little social housing is currently being provided under Part V.
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 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.
The Bill is in the process of being drafted with a view to enactment in 2015.
