Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 November 2018
598. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will report on the housing project launched in Ballymun on 5 November 2018; and if there are other projects similar to this in the greater Dublin area. [46611/18]
View answerIt is presumed that the Deputy is referring to a housing project comprising 42 high-quality homes for social housing use that have been delivered by an approved housing body (AHB), Oaklee Housing, working in partnership with Dublin City Council (DCC). The project was made possible using an innovative combination of capital loan financing provided by my Department through the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) and private finance from the Housing Finance Agency (HFA).
The site at Stormanstown, Ballymun, was privately owned and the AHB engaged the developer on a turnkey basis with full ownership of the site and units transferring to Oaklee Housing on completion. The developer went onsite in February 2017 and the AHB commenced snagging of the scheme at the start of August 2018.
My Department provides a variety of funding programmes available to local authorities and AHBs to deliver social housing. CALF supported construction activity sits in parallel with local authority direct construction and other mechanisms, including leasing. There are other projects similar to this CALF funded scheme in the greater Dublin area. My Department publishes a quarterly Social Housing Construction Projects Status Report, which sets out the continuing progress being made in advancing the national local authority and AHB new-build pipeline. The latest report, setting out the position at end Q2 2018, can be accessed at the following weblink: http://rebuildingireland.ie/install/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Final-Full-Construction-Status-report-Q2-2018.pdf.
