Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 April 2015
170. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on housing spending for 2015; the amount of this that comes from the €3.8 billion promised for housing over the next six years; where this money has been spent; and if he will provide a breakdown of where the remainder is expected to be spent in the coming months. [13430/15]
View answerBudget 2015 marked a significant change in the trajectory of social housing funding and the total housing provision for 2015 will result in an investment of almost €800 million across a range of housing programmes. It is estimated that some €61.5 million (gross) will be spent on a range of housing programmes by the end of March with expenditure expected to accelerate as the capital programmes come on stream. The full 2015 monthly expenditure profiles for my Department are published by the Department of Finance at www.finance.gov.ie.
Through the funding available in 2015, I expect that some 7, 400 new social housing units will be provided across a range of housing programmes as follows:
- 1,400 units to be built or acquired by local authorities and approved housing bodies;
- 3,000 units under the Social Housing Leasing Initiative;
- 1,000 vacant local authority units will be returned to use; and
- 2,000 new Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) units.
In addition, a further 8,400 households will be assisted through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).
The Social Housing Strategy 2020 builds on the provisions contained in Budget 2015 and sets out clear, measurable actions and targets to increase the supply of social housing, reform delivery arrangements and meet the housing needs of all households on the housing list.
Pillar 1 of the Strategy targets the delivery of 35,000 new social housing units over the period to 2020. The cost to the Exchequer of building, acquiring, or leasing these 35,000 units is estimated over the period to 2020 to be €3.8bn. Significant Exchequer funding is being allocated to ensure that the early phases of the Strategy will be delivered.
