Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2017
1271. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if NAMA may again be approached with a view to the possible availability of extra housing to meet the pressing needs of local authority housing applicants throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33671/17]
View answerTo end Quarter 1 2017, the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) had identified 6,947 units, associated with the security for loans that NAMA has acquired, that could be made available for social housing. Many of these units were in unfinished housing developments or developments that required significant remediation work. All of the units identified by NAMA, regardless of their condition, location or circumstance were offered to local authorities in the first instance.
To date, demand has been confirmed by local authorities for 2,780 of the properties that NAMA has identified as potentially available. Local authorities have confirmed that 2,423 of the properties are considered unsuitable by reference to sustainable planning and housing policy, or are located in areas with no social housing demand. A further 1,744 properties have been sold or privately let by the owners or receivers since the initial offer was made to the local authority.
General information in relation to NAMA delivery for social housing is available on the website of the Housing Agency at the following link:
https://www.housingagency.ie/Our-Services/Housing-Supply-Services/NAMA-(1).aspx.
In consultation with my Department, the Housing Agency and local authorities, NAMA continues to work through its portfolio with a view to identifying units that could be made available. The local authorities and the Housing Agency have been working systematically through the units with NAMA to determine if there is a social housing demand for the properties identified as potentially suitable for social housing. However, many of these units may be in private rented use and it is not appropriate or desirable that such private tenancies would be displaced.
Where a demand is identified by a local authority, this information is provided to NAMA and efforts are made to secure as many of the suitable properties as possible for social housing. While this process is ongoing, it is unlikely to yield a significant number of further properties.
