Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 May 2018
81. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the reason the local infrastructure housing activation fund, LIHAF, project at Ballincollig, County Cork has not advanced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19845/18]
View answerMy Department will shortly issue the first call for proposals under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) to all local authorities in August 2016. 34 projects received preliminary approval in March 2017. The project referred to was one of four projects that did not subsequently proceed from preliminary approval to final approval.
Projects were given a specific period of time in which to secure requisite local agreements with developers and landowners in respect of housing delivery. Some additional time was also given to the Ballincollig project at the request of the local authority but, unfortunately, sufficient progress on a particular local issue could not be made prior to the expiry of the final deadline for signing of a grant agreement under the first LIHAF call. This was despite the best efforts of Cork County Council who put a great deal of time into the project.
As part of Budget 2018, I announced that an additional €50 million Exchequer funding will be available for a second LIHAF call. This will again be subject to matching funding by local authorities bringing total funding for the second call to €66.5 million.
My Department will shortly issue a call for proposals for this second round of funding under LIHAF and it will be open to all local authorities to submit new projects or resubmit previous projects for consideration, including the Ballincollig project, if the local authority chooses to do so.
