Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 October 2019
331. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if a circular has issued to local authorities directing them not to build local authority housing in small villages and towns in sparsely populated rural areas such as CLÁR areas due to the fact they would be too car dependent, particularly in circumstances in which there is a demand for such housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42797/19]
View answerNo specific instruction or Circular has recently issued from my Department to local authorities regarding social housing provision in rural areas. As housing authorities, local authorities are responsible for the identification of the social housing need in their area and for the development of appropriate responses to the need identified.
The approach to providing social housing by the local authorities is dependent on the precise circumstances and location and they are best positioned to assess this, in line with guidance provided by my Department through the publication 'Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities', which is available at the following link: www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/migrated-files/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad%2C1979%2Cen.pdf.
Local authorities now have substantial pipelines of new social housing projects, ranging from larger scale developments to single rural dwellings. Details can be seen in the quarterly Social Housing Construction Status Reports published by my Department. The most recently available report sets out the position at end quarter 2 2019 and is available on the Rebuilding Ireland website at the following link: https://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-publishes-social-housing-construction-status-report-for-q2-2019-2/.
I am pleased to see the progress being made on projects, building on what has been already delivered, but I am keen that all local authorities further accelerate their programmes and I have assured them that the necessary funding is available to support their work in this regard.
