Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 June 2023
366. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a breakdown of all housing developments currently in the pipeline of the Land Development Agency; the number of units in each development; the current stage in the contracting process, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30778/23]
View answerUnder Housing for All, the Government aims to deliver 54,000 affordable homes between now and 2030, to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through the First Home Scheme.
The LDA is tasked with managing the State’s own lands to develop new homes, and regenerate under-utilised sites. In the longer-term, it will assemble strategic land-banks from a mix of public and private lands, which is expected to bring essential long-term stability to the Irish housing market.
It is also tasked with unlocking stalled private, planning-consented developments in the shorter-term through its market engagement initiative, Project Tosaigh, from which the LDA is targeting delivery of 5,000 affordable homes by 2026. The LDA has contracted or agreed commercial terms for the delivery of c.2,000 homes through its Project Tosaigh delivery channel. It remains on target to achieve its 5,000-unit target through the initiative by the end of 2026.
Following two calls for proposals and ongoing engagement with proposers, a delivery pipeline is being advanced. Project Tosaigh sourced homes are now being delivered and many homes have been sold to purchasers. 164 new homes were offered in 2022 for cost rental tenanting by eligible households in Wicklow and Dublin. 78 affordable purchase homes in Cork and Waterford were also delivered in 2022. Homes are being steadily completed and delivered so far for 2023 and delivery will be increasing as the year progresses.
While keeping the momentum of that call for proposals engagement going, the LDA is proceeding in tandem with the more structured phase of Project Tosaigh engagement, procuring framework agreements with preferred delivery partners.
The LDA continues its work developing housing on strategic state lands. Planning applications have now been approved on several sites including the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum (852 units), Castlelands in Balbriggan (817 units), Hackettstown in Skerries (345 units) and Devoy Barracks in Kildare (219 units). Separately, enabling works have commenced and the main construction contract has been awarded on the site of the former St Kevin’s Hospital in Cork City where approximately 265 homes are expected to be delivered from 2024.
The LDA is also actively working with local authorities to deliver homes in partnership on key sites. At the Shanganagh Castle site in Shankill, where work is underway, the LDA is working with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to deliver over 590 affordable homes, commencing in 2024. Working with Dublin City Council, the LDA is planning to deliver an affordable scheme at the Donore project in Dublin 8 (former St Teresa’s Gardens site) with a projected yield of over 540 homes, and over 140 affordable homes at Cromcastle, Dublin 5.
