I propose to take Questions Nos. 69, 100 and 107 together.
Up to 34 infrastructure projects, at a total cost of €226 million, received preliminary approval for funding in March 2017 under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF). Local authorities were allowed to proceed to design phase on all of these projects, pending final approval and sign-off of a grant agreement between my Department and Local Authorities.
To date, I have given final approval for 29 of the 34 infrastructure projects which will activate supply of almost 18,000 housing units on previously inaccessible sites, and grant agreements in respect of those projects have been signed. The cost of these projects is €177 million, of which €133 million will be funded by my Department and €44 million will be funded by local authorities. Discussions on the remaining projects are being finalised or have been moved for consideration under LIHAF 2 later in 2018.
While it will not be possible to publish the local agreements reached by local authorities with developers regarding all of the associated sites, due to the commercially sensitive nature of that information, I intend to publish summary details on all the approved and advancing projects in February, once final positions regarding the remaining projects in the first tranche have been reached.
My Department is monitoring the progress of the projects and most are at the planning stage with regard to design, planning and public procurement of the public infrastructure that is being funded. Construction works commenced for one project (Donabate Distributor Road) in December 2017 and I expect other projects to commence construction this year.
Funding of €1.67 million was drawn down in respect of projects in 2017 which was mainly in respect of design costs and it is expected that this will increase substantially in 2018 as projects move to the construction stage. Funding for LIHAF is ring-fenced within the overall housing budget and will be available for local authorities to drawdown over the lifetime of the projects. Through proactive management of the broader housing programme, the LIHAF underspend in 2017 was diverted to other housing activities, ensuring that the funding available in 2017 was fully applied to housing priorities.
Within the 18,000 new homes being advanced on LIHAF sites, it is expected that increased numbers of social housing over and above the 10% under Part V will be provided. Subject to the planning process and the eventual development applications made, it is estimated that approximately 3,000 of the 18,000 new homes will be for social housing purposes, made up of Part V units and additional social housing which will be provided on the 13 State-owned sites benefitting from the LIHAF-funded enabling infrastructure. In addition, it is estimated that 1,500 affordable homes will be provided.
As required under the scheme criteria and conditions, a key focus has been to ensure that there is a proportionate dividend for the State’s investment in infrastructure, as demonstrated by either provision of housing at scale at certain prices, a proportionate reduction in house prices across all of the homes being facilitated or a specified number of homes which will benefit from a larger price reduction. In relation to the 29 sites for which grant agreements have been signed, and subject to completion of the planning process, the number of houses committed to be delivered on each site will be set out in the following table.
Based on the information provided by the local authorities in their local agreements and analysis of current house prices in the areas concerned, and recognising the commercial sensitivity around some of the details in the agreements reached, the approved projects outside Dublin are projected to have new homes for sale towards the lower end of the bands identified, while the projects in Dublin are projected to have starter homes available towards the upper end of those bands.
Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Authority
|
Project name
|
Total Cost
|
Projected housing delivery by 2021
|
Clare
|
Claureen, Ennis
|
3.66
|
200
|
Cork City
|
Old Whitechurch Road
|
9.89
|
600
|
Cork City
|
South Docks
|
15.50
|
620
|
Cork County
|
Midleton (Water-rock)
|
5.50
|
520
|
Cork County
|
Carrigaline
|
0.60
|
400
|
Cork County
|
Glanmire
|
5.90
|
300
|
Dublin City
|
Dodder Bridge
|
15.75
|
1500
|
Dublin City
|
Belmayne Clongriffin
|
3.00
|
850
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown
|
Cherrywood
|
15.19
|
2000
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown
|
Clay Farm
|
4.70
|
350
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown
|
Woodbrook Shanganagh
|
4.16
|
1242
|
Fingal
|
Donabate Distributor Road
|
15.50
|
1200
|
Fingal
|
Oldtown Mooretown
|
4.90
|
800
|
Fingal
|
Baldoyle Stapolin
|
6.18
|
500
|
Kildare
|
Sallins
|
0.93
|
250
|
Kildare
|
Naas
|
6.00
|
800
|
Kildare
|
Maynooth
|
14.50
|
800
|
Kilkenny
|
Ferrybank
|
0.62
|
200
|
Kilkenny
|
Western Environs
|
6.76
|
530
|
Limerick
|
Mungret
|
10.50
|
400
|
Louth
|
Newtown Drogheda
|
1.22
|
200
|
Louth
|
Mount Avenue Dundalk
|
3.33
|
212
|
Meath
|
Ratoath
|
3.15
|
266
|
Meath
|
Farganstown, Navan
|
5.68
|
400
|
South Dublin
|
Kilcarbery / Corkagh Grange
|
4.39
|
1000
|
South Dublin
|
Clonburris SDZ
|
3.00
|
1000
|
Waterford City and County Council
|
Gracedieu
|
1.32
|
200
|
Waterford City and County Council
|
Kilbarry
|
3.39
|
400
|
Westmeath
|
Brawny Road, Athlone
|
1.83
|
200
|