Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 January 2017
22. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of the proposed 200 rapid build homes that were delivered in Q4 2016 with regard to action 1.1 of his housing plan Rebuilding Ireland; the specific plans to deliver a further 800 of these homes in 2017, by scheme, in tabular form; the current stage of development of each scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2022/17]
View answer41. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the reason just 22 of the 300 promised modular housing units were completed before the end of 2016; if he has directed local authorities to build permanent homes on these sites as a matter of urgency; his views on final housing output figures for 2016 and expected output in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2019/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 41 together.
My Department is working closely with the four Dublin local authorities in relation to the Rapid Delivery Programme. At the end of 2016, a total of 350 rapid build homes were advancing through various stages of delivery, including construction, with 22 rapid build homes being delivered and occupied in 2016. A further 650 rapid build homes will be advanced in 2017, with another 500 units to be delivered in 2018.
In terms of specific progress at the end of 2016, Dublin City Council were advancing a number of rapid build projects, including on four sites at Finglas, Darndale, Cherry Orchard and Drimnagh, which are under construction and will deliver a further 131 homes over the coming months. My Department is working closely with the Council to expedite delivery.
In addition to these four projects, further work across the four local authorities has resulted in the 350 rapid build homes, referred to above, advancing through various stages of delivery by the end of the 2016. The additional sites in question are in Dublin City, Dun Laoghaire, Cherry Orchard, Tallaght, Blanchardstown and Balbriggan. Construction dates will be finalised in the context of completion of procurement and award of contracts. In addition, sites are being identified and planning requirements advanced for a further 650 rapid build homes in 2017, across the 4 Dublin local authority areas and other local authority areas across the country. This will ensure that the commitment in Rebuilding Ireland to deliver 1,000 rapid build homes over 2016 and 2017 is met. It is important to note that the units being delivered are permanent, high quality homes, with 60 year life guarantees.
There has been significant pressure to ramp-up rapid build delivery, which local authorities have been responding to positively. However, there are requirements, such as in relation to procurement, that must be adhered to and in some instances this has caused delays. Notwithstanding this, I am confident that all parties are endeavouring to move the programme forward speedily. Of particular note is the establishment of a framework of rapid build contractors by the Office of Government Procurement, which means that local authorities will be able to run quicker procurement competitions and advance projects to site more efficiently and effectively.
Finally, it is important to note that rapid delivery needs to be viewed in the context of the wider range of solutions to address the unacceptable level of families in emergency accommodation. These include the Housing Agency Programme to acquire 1,600 vacant units and the expanded HAP Homeless Pilot Scheme in Dublin, where some 800 homeless HAP tenancies were entered into and a further 1,200 tenancies are targeted for 2017 across the greater Dublin region. Overall, the significant programme of actions underway has resulted in an estimated 2,700 exits from homelessness being achieved nationally in 2016, a significant increase on the comparable figure of 2,322 in 2015.
