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Rent Supplement Scheme Applications

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2015

Tuesday, 22 September 2015

Questions (1448)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

1448. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details of areas that have bans on rent allowance applications and the building of Part V obligations; and when these bans will be lifted given the need for social housing build. [31341/15]

View answer

Written answers

The Minister for Social Protection is responsible for the policy and operation of the Rent Supplement Scheme, formerly the Rent Allowance Scheme, and I have no function in the matter. In relation to the operation of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, informed by an extensive public consultation process and an independent in-depth review, a number of amendments to Part V were included in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 which came into force on 1 September 2015. The principal objectives of the 2015 amendments are to:

- maximise the opportunity for the delivery of social housing units;

- secure the principle of integrated mixed tenure developments;

- address weaknesses in aspects of the existing legislation identified in a number of court judgements; and

- enhance the economic viability of developments.

It is currently open to local authorities to agree with developers to have their Part V obligations fulfilled in a number of ways, including:

- the transfer of ownership of land, subject to the planning application, to a local authority for the provision of housing;

- the building and transfer of ownership to the local authority, or persons nominated, of completed social housing units on the land, subject to the planning application;

- the transfer of ownership to the local authority, or persons nominated, of completed social housing units on other land, not subject to the planning permission; and/or

- the long term leasing of properties.

My Department has advised local authorities of the commencement of the new provisions and the new requirements in that regard.

The Part V provisions are a key component of the range of delivery mechanisms required to achieve the targets set out in the Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020.

Question No. 1449 answered with Question No. 1367.
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