Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 January 2017
125. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline his views on whether there is an over-reliance by local authorities and approved housing bodies on acquisition rather than building new housing stock in their social housing provision. [2343/17]
View answerOf the 47,000 new social housing units targeted under Rebuilding Ireland, it is estimated that 26,000 will be delivered via construction activity, while 11,000 will be acquired by local authorities and AHBs directly from the market or the Housing Agency, with a portion of these being newly built units. 10,000 units will be leased by local authorities and AHBs. This indicates clearly the central role of construction activity in the supply of new social housing stock under Rebuilding Ireland.
To support this key role for construction, there is now a very substantial pipeline of new social housing construction projects in place. This is being added to on an ongoing basis in line with the ambitious targets of Rebuilding Ireland. These projects are now at various stages of advancement, ranging from planning and development work by local authorities, across to projects that are on site. I am keen that they are all advanced as quickly as possible and I have assured the local authorities that funding is available to fully support their efforts in this regard.
While the construction programme has been advancing, it has made sense that local authorities take opportunities to acquire housing where there is a social housing need and where good value for money can be obtained and I am satisfied that they are deploying options to both buy and to build new social housing in a balanced way. It is important that they utilise all opportunities to develop new social housing but the mix will increasingly switch towards construction on foot of the substantial pipeline of projects now in place.
