Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2017
23. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will approve further new schemes in the event of Laois county council providing extra land found suitable for housing. [33115/17]
View answerRebuilding Ireland has put in place both the targets and the funding resources to accelerate the delivery of social housing for all local authorities, including Laois County Council. There are currently over 600 social housing construction schemes included in the Status Report on Social Housing Construction Projects, which is now published on a quarterly basis and includes projects that are recently completed, on site, or undergoing planning and design. This list is being added to on an ongoing basis and the most recent version, covering the period to end Quarter 1 2017, is available at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/social-housing-construction-projects-report-2017/.
The report includes 13 construction projects of various scale in County Laois involving 138 new social homes, which is in addition to the delivery of social housing via acquisitions, remediations, leasing and the Housing Assistance Payment scheme. I am keen that Laois County Council bring forward further construction projects, as speedily as possible, to add to this pipeline. Indeed, my Department is in ongoing contact with them and they have been assured that funding is in place to support their activity in this regard.
