Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 September 2022
159. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if plans will be put in place to arrange for modular or chalet-type wooden housing as a means of addressing the severe housing shortage, as well as the shortage of accommodation for asylum seekers, with a view to reducing the dependence on highly priced rental accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47604/22]
View answerHousing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the Land Development Agency (LDA) and €5bn funding through the Housing Finance Agency.
Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes; 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing and 28,500 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2026. Over the same period to 2026, the Housing for All strategy commits to delivering 10,000 Cost Rental homes and 18,000 Affordable Purchase homes which will be delivered by Approved Housing Bodies, local authorities, the LDA and the First Home shared equity scheme.
Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) has been identified as a key measure to address the different housing needs in Ireland and methods to support the development of MMC in Ireland are set out in Housing for All Pathway 5 Section 5.3.2. All new dwellings must comply with building regulations, the aim of which is to provide for the safety and welfare of people in and about buildings, and in addition achieve a 60-year durability for all key elements.
The development of MMC, which will improve productivity and increase efficiency in construction, and the coordination of activities to promote the development of MMC, is being led by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE). DETE has recently established a MMC Leadership and Integration Group. The Group’s leadership aim to ensure a coordinated approach, and that those emerging innovations and new technologies being developed and deployed by the industry in Ireland and abroad, and promoted by the public sector, can be showcased and demonstrated in a coordinated and timely manner, particularly (but not exclusively) by the Demonstration Park for MMC, and could also inform the design of construction training modules.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is responsible for meeting the immediate and short-term accommodation needs of persons arriving in Ireland from the conflict in Ukraine. My Department is supporting the national response in a number of ways, including working with the Local Authority sector to identify multi-unit vacant buildings that might be suitable for refurbishment. In addition, OPW, with DCEDIY as the overarching Department, is leading on a project to secure the provision of modular homes to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection from the Ukraine.
