Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 February 2016
87. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 147 of 13 January 2016, how many persons are awaiting social housing in the Lanesboro, County Longford area, and how he decided on 16 new units only. [4519/16]
View answerInformation in relation to the number of qualified households on the waiting lists of each individual local authority, including Longford County Council, is available on my Department’s website as part of the 2013 Summary of Social Housing Assessments at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad,34857,en.pdf.
Under the Social Housing Strategy 2020, I have set substantial targets and allocated matching funding resources for the delivery of social housing by local authorities. These targets for the period out to 2017 were set for each local authority area last April and can be seen at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,41016,en.htm.
In issuing these targets, I stated that all local authorities are to kickstart a building programme for social housing. Since then, I have announced new social housing construction and acquisition projects to the value of approximately €680 million. These approvals are based on proposals submitted by all local authorities, including proposals for 16 new units which were submitted by Longford County Council across two separate developments in the Lanesborough area. Details of the projects approved are available 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
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,44104,en.htm.
As the housing authorities for their areas, local authorities are responsible for the detailed planning of social housing provision based on local need. The precise projects that are proposed to my Department, including the number of units, are therefore matters for the local authority in line with the targets and funding provision issued to them in April 2015. I will continue to work with Longford County Council as they develop more social housing proposals in line with the targets and funding available to them.
