Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 January 2017
470. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the amount Cork County Council was allotted for group housing in 2016; the amount that was drawn down by the council; if any has been returned; and if he will provide a breakdown of the projects in which the money was used, in tabular form. [41364/16]
View answerIt is not clear what specific projects the Deputy is referring to in the Question. However, in general, under my Department's Social Housing Capital Investment and Social Housing Current Expenditure Programmes, funding is provided to local authorities to deliver additional social housing stock through new construction projects and through the acquisition of new and previously owned houses/apartments.
Details on the number of properties constructed and purchased by all local authorities, including Cork County Council, for letting to those on their social housing waiting list, are available on my Department's website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision.
In relation to the allocations and recoupment profiles for capital Traveller accommodation, projects can vary across local authorities given the local priorities, circumstances and project timelines as set out in the Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs). Funding is recouped to local authorities on eligible expenditure incurred and, where it is likely that an allocation to a local authority may be unspent or under-spent, my Department engages with local authorities to re-allocate the funding in order to ensure that drawdown is maximised. In 2016, Cork County Council was allocated €30,000, which was not drawn down before the year end and so this money was re-allocated.
