Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 November 2021
269. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the restrictions in place preventing local councils leasing property from investment firms implicated in war crimes (details supplied). [56950/21]
View answer281. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Dublin City Council has agreed to long-term leasing of homes with a British arms manufacturer (details supplied); and his views on whether local authorities should be engaged in long-term leasing with pension funds or vulture funds in this way. [57235/21]
View answer282. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Dublin City Council has agreed to the long-term leasing of six homes from a British arms manufacturer (details supplied); his views on whether contracts between the city council or another local authority should be bound by ethical guidelines and that such companies should not be allowed wash war profits through building property portfolios in Ireland; if he will request the Council to withdraw from the completion of lease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57236/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 269, 281 and 282 together.
The recently published Housing for All Plan sets out the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. The annual targets include the delivery of 88,400 new social homes and 53,800 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2030. The strategy will focus strongly on new builds, and in particular local authority led new build activity and will see a managed phasing out of Long Term Leasing by 2025.
Housing for All has been underpinned by the unprecedented level of investment in Budget 2022 with a total capital provision for housing programmes in 2022 of €4 billion, between Exchequer funding and investment from the Land Development Agency and Housing Finance Agency lending.
Through the funding provided, I am ensuring that we will be able to meet the housing needs of almost 31,000 households in 2022, through a range of social and affordable housing schemes. There is a priority focus on new build social homes and this funding will support the delivery of 9,000 new build homes.
My Department has been informed by Dublin City Council (DCC) that it has not entered into any agreements for the leasing of units with the Company BAE Systems Limited. DCC has been progressing leasing proposals with BAE Systems Pension Fund Trustee Limited, which is a pension fund for employees. DCC advises that it has not yet exchanged any leases with BAE Systems Pension Fund Trustee Limited.
Under the Standard Leasing Programme, a Local Authority is required to carry out due diligence as part of the assessment process for each leasing application in advance of submitting the application to my Department of Housing. My Department will only consider applications put forward that comply with all the requirements of the leasing schemes.
