Written Answers Nos. 1 - 18
11. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on whether setting up funding models in conjunction with various private equity funds is the most efficient way to provide social and affordable housing to deal with the current crisis. [18460/16]
View answerIn seeking to address the shortage of housing supply I am open to considering different delivery models, including those that utilise private sector funding to deliver additional units to be used for social housing and for affordable rental, whilst at the same time providing value for money. To this end, three specific measures are currently being developed and implemented by my Department.
The Programme for a Partnership Government provides that, as part of the development process for the Action Plan for Housing, we will explore the option of incentivising developers to build and lease back homes to housing authorities and associations.
The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme currently provides a means whereby properties can be can be built or bought by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) with the combined use of State and private funding, and leased by AHB’s and Local Authorities from private providers, for the provision of social housing. Changes are now being proposed to this scheme to provide revised arrangements which serve to expand these mechanisms to facilitate larger institutional private investors that want to build and lease back homes to housing authorities and associations.
The Programme for Government further provides for the introduction of a new model of affordable rental to deliver more housing options for low income households. €10m has been committed to this scheme in 2016.
The National Development Finance Agency is acting as financial advisor to my Department in respect of these schemes. In addition, a Social Housing Public Private Partnership to provide for a capital investment of €300 million is currently being implemented. This PPP programme will deliver 1,500 social housing units.
Each of these initiatives is in addition to social housing being delivered by other means, including through Exchequer capital spending.
12. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the action he is taking to ensure that the Irish Glass Bottle site in Dublin 4 will have the maximum level of social and affordable housing possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18480/16]
View answerUnder the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended by the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, at least 10% of the housing development on Poolbeg West Strategic Development Zone, as in all residential development areas, must be reserved for the provision of social housing.
Subject to the finalisation of a planning scheme for Poolbeg West, up to 3,000 new homes are considered achievable by the City Council which suggests a potential social housing yield of up to 300 new homes. Going beyond this level would require the agreement of the landowners and developers of this area in the context of an acquisitions strategy.
A detailed planning scheme is in the process of being drawn up for the area by Dublin City Council as a comprehensive planning framework for its orderly development and I understand from the City Council that this is expected to be published for public consultation before the end of this year.
13. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the Action Plan on Housing will be published. [18473/16]
View answerThe Programme for a Partnership Government includes a commitment to the preparation and publication of an ‘Action Plan for Housing’ within the Government’s first 100 days.
The Action Plan is currently being drafted in my Department, with input from key Government Departments and Agencies, and other stakeholders working in the housing and homelessness sector .
The Action Plan will also draw on the Report of the Special Committee on Housing and Homelessness, which was published on 17 June 2016, demonstrating this Government’s commitment to a collaborative approach to solving the housing crisis.
The initial focus of the Action Plan will be to expedite and boost supply of all types of housing, including social housing, in the immediate, medium and longer-terms, focusing in particular on those experiencing most difficulty in accessing accommodation in the housing and rental market at the moment.
The Plan will also put in place measures to ensure we have a more stable and sustainable housing system in the future.
I have made the development and implementation of this “Action Plan for Housing” my number one priority. I am accelerating plans for Government approval and aim to publish the final Action Plan before the end of July.
14. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to provide a breakdown of the current programme of the 2016 allocation for existing commitments on regeneration projects which is €50 million. [18511/16]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, regeneration projects funded by my Department target the country’s most disadvantaged communities, including those defined by the most extreme social exclusion, unemployment and anti-social behaviour.
My Department currently supports a programme of large-scale regeneration projects in Dublin, Cork and Limerick and smaller projects in Tralee, Sligo and Dundalk. The 2016 allocation for existing commitments on regeneration projects is €50 million, including allocations of €28m for Limerick, €11m for Cork City, €5m for Dublin and €2m each for Dundalk, Sligo and Tralee.
In the context of the priority on urban regeneration set out in the Programme for a Partnership Government, Minister Coveney and I will be working to provide increased funding in 2017 and subsequent years for a range of measures that address deep-rooted disadvantage, while developing an approach to urban regeneration that empowers people to work together to improve their communities and to reduce poverty, disadvantage and inequality.
15. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his proposals for amalgamating local library services across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18557/16]
View answerProposals to introduce changes to the library management model are outlined in the report Managing the Delivery of Effective Library Services. The proposed operating model seeks to put in place planning and implementation arrangements that will deliver more effective and efficient public libraries with a view to securing the delivery of an enhanced quality and range of services. This will ensure the long-term sustainability of the library service in Ireland.
The key challenge in the present structure is the need for the creation of scale for existing library authorities, in particular in the smaller counties. In order to achieve this, it was determined that a new operating model for library authorities should be established, with a minimum population target of 100,000 as an appropriate basis for determining a revised libraries’ structure.
The proposed model does not involve the closure of libraries nor will it require the reduction of the library services available in those areas; in fact, the model seeks to enhance the services that are available. It will secure a stronger senior management structure and increase capacity across the relevant library authorities to focus on frontline services and opportunities for enhanced individual and community support services and engagement. Discussions have commenced with the relevant local authorities with a view to exploring how the proposals might best be implemented and all options will be considered as part of these discussions.
16. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the legislative changes he plans to implement to provide for the much needed massive increase in social and affordable housing in order to deal with the current housing crisis. [18461/16]
View answerA range of actions is currently being considered to provide for the much needed boosting of supply of all types of housing, including increasing the delivery of social housing, in the immediate, medium and longer-term. These actions, including possible legislative changes, will be brought forward in the context of the new “ Action Plan for Housing ” which will be published in the coming weeks.
A key objective of the Plan will be to accelerate, and exceed if possible, the delivery of the targets under the Social Housing Strategy: importantly, local authorities and approved housing bodies already have a strong pipeline of construction, turnkey and acquisition projects underway, which will deliver some 3,900 homes, with approved budget costs of some €680 million.
The most recent changes to legislation which impact on the delivery of social housing were a number of amendments made in 2015 to Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, which provides for the provision of social housing units from within private developments.
The amendments provide for Part V delivery of 10% of the total units in a scheme, with the priority being the delivery of social housing. Crucially, the options of a payment of cash in lieu of units, or the transfer of sites or parts of sites, have been removed. The focus is now on the delivery of completed units and the amendments seek to maximise the contribution Part V can make to social housing supply and sustainable mixed-tenure communities across the country. An increase in the overall supply of housing in the coming years will therefore yield a dividend for social housing under the provisions of Part V.
The operation of Part V is kept under review in my Department, in consultation with local authorities, and should further legislative changes be required, in the light of experience with the revised provisions, I will bring these forward.
