Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 February 2024
125. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures he intends to put in place to ensure availability of affordable homes in south Dublin, in particular; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7012/24]
View answerHousing for All sets out the range of actions necessary to increase the supply of housing over the next decade. 54,000 affordable homes will be delivered between now and 2030 to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency and through First Home, which is a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.
Funding under the various affordable housing streams is made available on a programme basis in support of approved affordable homes delivery, rather than by allocations to counties. Housing for All has the largest ever housing budget in the history of the State to transform our housing system, with in excess of €20 billion in funding through the Exchequer, the LDA and the Housing Finance Agency over the five years.
Local authorities have published 5 year Housing Delivery Action Plans setting out affordable housing delivery targets up to 2026. South Dublin County Council has a target to deliver 1,133 affordable homes over this period, not including additional affordable homes that will be delivered by the Land Development Agency (LDA), Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and via the higher Part V requirements introduced in the Affordable Housing Act 2021. South Dublin County Council's Delivery Action Plan can be accessed on its website.
Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) subsidy has been approved to support the development and delivery of 75 Affordable Purchase and 133 Cost Rental homes to be delivered by South Dublin County Council at Belgard, Clonburris and Kilcarbery. The LDA and AHBs are also delivering affordable homes in the South Dublin County Council area.
In addition, the First Home Scheme, launched last July, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model, similar to that employed in the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme. 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 and more information can be found at www.firsthomescheme.ie/.
Local authorities complete and submit data returns to my Department on delivery of affordable homes in their area in the same manner as is done for social housing. Statistical data on affordable housing delivery by tenure and by local authority area during 2022 and for Quarters 1, 2 and 3 of 2023 is published on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/#affordable-housing-delivery
My Department is supporting, with funding and via other practical measures, the ongoing acceleration of affordable housing delivery, in South Dublin and more widely, by our key partners, i.e. local authorities, AHBs, the LDA, and the First Home scheme.
