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Local Authority Housing

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 March 2021

Thursday, 4 March 2021

Questions (87, 89, 90, 93, 95, 99)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

87. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which local authorities can be included in new house building programmes with particular reference to the urgent need to ensure the building of an adequate number of local authority houses to meet the demand in their administrative area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12436/21]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

89. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which he can authorise the allocation of the necessary funding to meet local authority housing demands throughout Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12438/21]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

90. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of local authority housing applicants currently registered in each local authority; the extent to which an additional effort can be made to meet their housing needs on annual basis over the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12439/21]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

93. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he expects local authorities to be in a position to have a plan to build houses for all of the applicants on their local authority housing lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12442/21]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

95. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has formulated plans for an annual sizeable reduction in the number of applicants on local authority housing waiting lists by way of a local authority house building programme; the number of applicants likely to be facilitated as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12444/21]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

99. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he expects to achieve a reasonable waiting period for local authority housing applicants to be housed and rehoused; if this is likely to be in line with best international practice in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12448/21]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 87, 89, 90, 93, 95 and 99 together.

Increasing the supply of social, affordable and private housing is a priority for this Government. The Programme for Government commits to the delivery of 50,000 new social homes with a focus on new build homes.

In 2021, the Government has made available €3.3 billion for housing delivery programmes. Subject to delays arising from COVID-19 restrictions, this funding will support the delivery of 12,750 social homes through Build, Acquisition and Leasing, including 9,500 new build homes. The Government will be publishing a new housing strategy this year, which will set out details of social housing delivery for 2021-2025, including social housing targets for 2022 onwards. In addition to supporting households in homes allocated by local authorities, eligible households are supported in the private rental market through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).

Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). Since 2016, the numbers have decreased from 91,600 to 68,693, a reduction of 25%. The full report is available on my Department’s website at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/29da7-summary-of-social-housing-assessments-2019-key-findings/ and provides details on the length of time spent on the social housing list. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 assessment was delayed and conducted in November. Work is ongoing and the summary report of the 2020 assessment will be published shortly.

In relation to the reduction of waiting times, my Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on all social housing delivery activity. This is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/

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