Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 January 2024
205. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide details on the application received from Mayo County Council (details supplied); the date the application was received; the number of housing and what they comprised off; the cost associated with the application; the timeline attached; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2162/24]
View answer206. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a detailed rationale for approval of Mayo County Council’s affordable housing scheme application and the assessment conducted to demonstrate substantial housing need with affordability constraints; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2163/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 205 and 206 together.
Under Housing for All, the Government has targeted the delivery of 28,500 new affordable homes from 2022 to 2026, to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.
Mayo County Council has prepared and published its own 5-year Housing Delivery Action Plan. While Mayo does not have a specific affordability target, it has identified localised affordability need in key urban locations where new households being formed would not be able to access housing for purchase or rent at prices/rents affordable to them.
The Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) is open and available to support all local authorities to address any affordability needs identified in their area. Circular 23/2021 issued to all local authorities on 25 June 2021 and provides guidance on preparing an application for Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) assistance, including an overview of the marking matrix used to assess applications. Circular 06/2023 issued to all local authorities on 21 February 2023 and provides further guidance for local authorities such as Mayo where localised need with affordability constraint has been identified.
In this context, my Department has been liaising with Mayo in the development of its affordable housing delivery programme to respond appropriately to identified need in its area. To date it has received funding approval from the AHF to assist in the delivery of 13 affordable homes at Springfield, Westport, where Mayo County Council made an application which demonstrated a sufficient new housing need with affordability constraint and which met the criteria for the AHF scheme.
Applications for two further proposed affordable purchase schemes located in Castlebar and Westport were made to the Department on 2 October 2023 and are being considered and further developed in conjunction with Mayo County Council. The Department, along with the Housing Agency and the Housing Delivery Coordination Office of the Local Government Management Agency will continue to advise and support Mayo in respect of its planned response to affordable housing needs in its area.
