Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 September 2018
261. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the steps which can be taken to arrange for the immediate commencement of local authority housing schemes and or the provision of serviced local authority sites for use by eligible applicants in the short term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39324/18]
View answer270. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the extent to which delays in the provision of local authority houses have been caused by logistics such as planning permission, availability of services or other issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39333/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 261 and 270 together.
The Government’s Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness is firmly focused on increasing supply to meet social housing needs under a range of programmes in all counties, with the target to deliver 50,000 social homes through build, acquisition and leasing in the period to 2021, as well as meeting the housing needs of an additional 87,000 households through the Housing Assistance Payment and the Rental Accommodation Scheme. The Action Plan is supported by €6 billion in funding, which means that local authorities have the financial support available to them to deliver on their local targets.
I have provided all local authorities with their individual social housing targets across all delivery streams, including build. Details of these targets are available on the Rebuilding Ireland website at the following link:
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-publishes-social-housing-delivery-targets-for-local-authorities-2018-2021/.
My Department also publishes information on the approved social housing construction projects in all counties via quarterly Construction Status Reports. The most recently available report is at the following link:
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-publishes-latest-social-housing-construction-report/ and includes the approved projects for all local authority areas.
The timing and delivery of each of these projects is a matter for the local authorities and the approved housing bodies. I am keen, however, that all local authorities, further accelerate their programmes and I have assured them that the necessary funding to support their activity is available. This includes developing their own land banks and working with approved housing bodies and developers on all new opportunities.
Logistical challenges will always arise with a significant programme of new construction but my Department works with all local authorities, approved housing bodies and other statutory bodies to overcome these. My Department's engagement with the local authorities regarding the delivery of social housing includes ongoing contact on a very regular basis on individual projects and structured quarterly meetings to review progress on all projects. These engagements can also involve site visits to review project activity at first hand.
Elected Members play an important role in relation to social housing delivery in terms of approving new projects under the Part 8 process. They can also play an important role in overseeing their authority's work to make sure projects are advanced in a timely manner. Elected members on Housing Strategic Policy Committees can play a particularly important role in scrutinising delivery.
