Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2015
1518. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason he has not introduced legislation to take urgent measures to implement a housing emergency programme for the tens of thousands of families and individuals on housing and homeless lists. [32212/15]
View answerSocial housing, and in particular increasing supply to deal with pent-up demand, is a key priority for Government, as evidenced by the additional €2.2 billion in funding announced in Budget 2015 and the publication of the Social Housing Strategy 2020 in November 2014. The Strategy is a comprehensive response to the need for social housing and targets the provision of over 110,000 social housing units to 2020, through the delivery of 35,000 new social housing units and meeting the housing needs of some 75,000 households through the Housing Assistance Payment and Rental Accommodation Scheme. This will address the needs of the households on the housing waiting list with flexibility to meet potential future demand.
Under the Strategy, on 1 April 2015, I announced provisional funding allocations totalling €1.5 billion for all local authorities, to meet an ambitious delivery target of 22,882 social housing units out to 2017. Details of the individual targets set for local authorities can be found on my Department's website at:
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,41016,en.htm.
To date in 2015 some €493 million has been allocated, to local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies, for the construction and acquisition of over 2,900 units, full details of which can be found on my Department’s website at the following links:
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,41340,en.htm
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,42225,en.htm.
Furthermore, over €91 million worth of housing investment, across a range of housing schemes to bring vacant social housing units back into productive use and to improve housing for people with disabilities, as well as retrofitting homes to improve energy efficiency, was also announced in May. Full details of the allocations made to local authorities are available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.environ.ie/en/GeneralNews/MainBody,41581,en.htm.
Further announcements in relation to project approvals, in line with the Strategy targets, will be made in due course.
The implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is also progressing at pace, with almost 4,000 households now in receipt of HAP across the local authority areas taking part in the statutory pilot scheme. HAP is now available to all qualified households in 13 local authority areas. Consideration is currently being given to the sequencing of a further cohort of local authorities to commence HAP in the coming months.
In relation to homelessness, a range of specific measures are being taken to secure a ring-fenced supply of accommodation to house homeless households and mobilise the necessary supports in order to deliver on the Government's target of ending involuntary long-term homelessness. These measures have been identified in the Government's Implementation Plan on the State's Response to Homelessness (May 2014) and in the Action Plan to Address Homelessness (December 2014).
Progress in implementing these plans is reported through the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform. The plans and progress reports are available on my Department's website at the following link:
www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/SpecialNeeds/HomelessPeople/.
These Plans represent a whole-of-Government approach to dealing with homelessness and the implementation of measures identified in these plans is being overseen by a group of senior officials drawn from key State agencies concerned including my Department; the Departments of Social Protection; Health; and Children and Youth Affairs; the Health Service Executive; Tusla (the Child and Family Agency); the Irish Prison Service; and local authorities.
In addition to ensuring that appropriate emergency responses are put in place, it is of critical importance that steps are taken to prevent, as far as possible, families presenting as homeless in the first instance. In that regard, I am determined to achieve stability and sustainability in the private rental market for the benefit of tenants, landlords and society as a whole. The regulation of rent raises many complex economic and legal issues and I have to be satisfied that any measures proposed are balanced and have the desired effect on the rental market while being fair to landlords and tenants alike. Ultimately, any decision in relation to rent certainty is a matter for Government and it is my intention to bring proposals to Government for consideration as soon as the necessary preparatory work has been completed.
Finally, the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, was recently enacted and was commenced with effect from 1 September 2015. The Act revises Part V arrangements on social and affordable housing to maximise the opportunity for the delivery of social housing units and to secure the principle of integrated mixed tenure developments. Importantly, the practice of developers making cash payments in lieu of housing units is no longer an option under the new legislation.
