Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 May 2023
437. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of social and affordable homes delivered in Cork in 2022 and to date in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26367/23]
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 and 54,000 affordable homes by 2030. 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.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority, including Cork City Council and Cork County Council. With 2022 representing the first full year of affordable housing delivery under the schemes introduced in the Affordable Housing Act 2021, local authorities have submitted data returns detailing information on delivery of affordable homes in their area to my Department, in the same manner as is done for social housing. This data is available to the end of 2022, and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/ . Data for Quarter 1 2023 is currently being collated and will be published shortly.
My Department also publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR). The CSR provides details of social housing developments and their location that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and tender processes. The most recent publication was for Quarter 4 2022. All Construction Status Reports are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/cb885-social-housing-construction-projects-status-reports/
A version of the CSR file can also be downloaded for analysis at the link below: data.gov.ie/dataset/social-housing-construction-status-report-q4-2022?package_type=dataset
A key action of Housing for All required local authorities to develop Housing Delivery Action Plans to include details of social and affordable housing delivery. The Plans set out details of both social and affordable housing delivery as appropriate over the period 2022-2026, in line with targets set under Housing for All. Housing Delivery Action Plans are published on the websites of the relevant local authorities.
In addition, the First Home Scheme, which was launched in July 2022, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. The Scheme aims to support in the region of 8,000 households in acquiring new homes in the private market in the years 2022 to 2026 with an overall budget of €400 million. The scheme is available nationwide. Full information on the scheme, including Q1 2023 Update Report, is available on the First Home Scheme dedicated website, www.firsthomescheme.ie
Other measures, such as the Help to Buy Scheme and the Local Authority Home Loan, are also nationally available to eligible first-time purchasers to make home ownership more affordable.
