Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 May 2016
229. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government why funds are lent to Dublin City Council from the Housing Finance Agency for home loans but not for the building of units; and the last time a request from Dublin City Council was received for a loan from the Housing Finance Agency to build housing units. [11429/16]
View answerThe Housing Finance Agency’s function is to advance loan finance to local authorities and the voluntary housing sector to be used by them for any purpose authorised by the Housing Acts, 1966-2014, and to borrow or raise funds for this purpose. It also lends to local authorities for waste and environment capital projects. The direct building of social housing units by local authorities, including by Dublin City Council, is primarily undertaken with capital funding provided through my Department, as opposed to through loan funding by Housing Finance Agency (HFA).
The Housing Finance Agency has funding available to lend to local authorities for housing and related purposes. I am advised that loan funding was provided by the HFA in May 2016 to Dublin City Council for housing purposes.
