Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 December 2022
36. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a list of the local authorities that he is incentivising to build modular housing with the €100 million debt write-off offer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61165/22]
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. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. 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 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.
In order to unlock the potential of some sites where local authorities have outstanding loan balances with the Housing Finance Agency so that they can be made immediately available for social housing development and to support additional local authority borrowing for other key delivery priorities, including Affordable and Cost Rental housing, the Government has agreed to the allocation of up to €100m to pay down loans which can deliver social housing projects linked to accelerated delivery. The Government has agreed to the allocation of this funding subject to sites meeting a number of criteria:
- The immediate development of a proposal for social housing delivery;
- That construction would commence in 2023 or no later than 2024; and
- The use of accelerated delivery models, principally off-site / Modern Methods of Construction.
My Department is currently engaging with local authorities on relevant sites that meet the aforementioned criteria. No local authorities have been allocated funding to date.
