Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 November 2018
83. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will consider ordering a stay on all sales of public land by local authorities or State agencies that could provide public and affordable housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47177/18]
View answerAlong with my colleague the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, I signed the Establishment Order for the new Land Development Agency (LDA) on 13 September 2018. The Agency will act as a national centre of expertise, working with and supporting local authorities, public bodies and other interests, to harness public lands as catalysts to stimulate regeneration and wider investment and to achieve compact, sustainable growth, with a particular emphasis on complex regeneration projects and the provision of affordable housing.
The LDA is in the process of advancing agreements with various State bodies in relation to a range of sites, with the Housing Agency, the Office of Public Works, the Department of Health, the HSE and the Department of Defence participating in the first tranche of land agreements. A detailed business plan for the LDA is currently in development and will provide additional information on its delivery programme.
Departments were requested in September 2018, in respect of lands owned directly and by agencies under their aegis, to identify additional lands over and above the initial pre-launch tranche of 8 sites published when the Agency was launched. The LDA will be reverting to me with a more in-depth analysis of the information that has been provided in response to this request, with a view to building a longer term pipeline of sites, which the Agency has indicated is capable of the delivery of 10,000 new homes, at least 10% of which must be provided for social housing purposes and a further 30% for affordable housing.
Development of LDA managed lands will make a substantial contribution to the achievement of wider Government targets for housing delivery in general and social housing specifically, as set out in Rebuilding Ireland, enhancing supply, aiding the moderation in increases in housing costs and enabling new sources of affordable housing supply, including for cost rental.
With regard to sales of public land, in the case of local authority lands, such sales are a matter for the members of the relevant local authorities to approve under Section 183 of the Local Government Act 2001 and I have no role in such transactions. A clear picture of what is an extensive quantum of largely local authority owned lands earmarked for housing has been established and is mapped on the Rebuilding Ireland land map, which is available to view at the following link:
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/rebuilding-ireland-land-map/.
With regard to the sale of other public lands, a comprehensive protocol is in place for the disposal of surplus public lands under the Office of Public Works Property Management Development Plan, which is a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. It is understood that, under the protocol, prior to the disposal of vacant property, steps are taken to establish if the property is required/suitable for alternative State use by either Government Departments or the wider public sector, including local authorities, for housing or other purposes.
