Written Answers Nos. 106-127
106. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if income eligibility limits for social housing will be reviewed again in counties Cavan and Monaghan; if he has a timeframe for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5128/24]
View answer111. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ensure that a review of income eligibility limits for social housing will be carried out at an early date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6904/24]
View answer143. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the income thresholds that apply for social housing applicants in Monaghan and if he proposes to increase those thresholds. [6881/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 106, 111 and 143 together.
Following a review conducted by my Department in 2022, the Government agreed to my recommendation to increase the baseline social housing income thresholds by €5,000 for all local authorities with effect from 1 January 2023. The thresholds increased to €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for bands 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Therefore, the income eligibility threshold in Monaghan is now €30,000 for a single adult household, see the following link for an illustrative table of net income limits across all local authority areas
www.gov.ie/en/publication/04c69-social-housing-support-table-of-income-limits/
Notwithstanding these changes, my Department is awaiting detailed research examining the existing income limits in the context of current market and population conditions and the suitability or otherwise of the current framework having regard to the significantly changed landscape since it was introduced. This has been commissioned by the Housing Agency and I understand this work is near completion.
When it is available, my Department will undertake a detailed examination of the report, including consultation with stakeholders. This detailed examination will look at, inter alia, how the social housing income limits system interacts with other housing supports and ensure that they continue to target households correctly.
107. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what measures are in place to deal with homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6799/24]
View answer142. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the immediate and urgent actions that will be taken to address the high levels of child homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6703/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 142 together.
Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority. Critical to supporting households to exit homelessness is increasing the supply of housing. My Department is prioritising measures which focus on accelerating social and affordable housing supply through a combination of new build, targeted acquisitions and leasing. Record levels of investment are being provided under Housing for All to support the delivery of housing. In 2024, over €5bn in investment is available to support the delivery of housing.
Budget 2024 allocated funding of over €242 million for the delivery of homeless services. This funding will support the provision of emergency accommodation and related supports, including increased prevention activity. Local authorities and their service delivery partners will work closely with all households in emergency accommodation to support them to secure an exit to a tenancy.
Following the success of the Tenant in Situ scheme in 2023, local authorities have been sanctioned to acquire at least a further 1,500 social homes, mainly focused on acquiring properties where a social housing tenant has received a Notice of Termination due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property. For private tenants at risk of homelessness who are not in receipt of social housing supports, the ‘Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ’ scheme has also been introduced. The effectiveness of these measures has been demonstrated in the recent significant increases in homelessness prevention reported in Quarter 4 2023.
Housing for All includes measures to enhance family support and prevention and early intervention services for children and their families through a multi-agency and coordinated response. There is also a measure to identify and provide enhanced tenancy sustainment supports to families experiencing long-term homelessness to help them exit from homelessness and maintain their homes. These actions are being delivered in conjunction with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.
I continue to work with the National Homeless Action Committee (NHAC). The overarching objective of the Committee is to ensure that a renewed emphasis is brought to collaborating across Government to implement actions in Housing for All, along with bringing better coherence and coordination of homeless-related services in delivering policy measures and actions to address homelessness.
108. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of full-time and part-time vacant homes officers currently employed by each respective local authority; the number of requests received by his Department from individual local authorities for further increased support for additional vacant homes officer positions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6650/24]
View answerAddressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government, as set out in Pathway 4 of Housing for All. In January 2022, my Department communicated with local authorities outlining that funding, made available since 2018 to support the work of a Vacant Homes Office including a Vacant Homes Officer (VHO), would be increased from €50,000 to €60,000 per annum, from mid-2022.
This supports the commitment in Housing for All to ensure that VHOs are full-time. The provision of central funding reinforces the capacity of local authorities, including through the important role of VHOs, to ensure a dedicated focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction with a view to increasing the opportunities for residential development.
All 31 local authorities now have a full time, dedicated VHO in place.
The role of the VHO in each local authority is:
• To actively promote and lead the uptake within the local authority of various initiatives, schemes and funding programmes to address vacancy and bring vacant properties into residential use;
• To actively engage with owners of vacant properties and other relevant stakeholders and promote use of relevant schemes and supports to bring vacant properties into use;
• To collect, monitor and assess vacancy data locally and use that data to actively engage with property owners and promote schemes to encourage activation of properties; and
• Play a communication, promotion and advisory role both internally within the local authority and externally as a contact point for members of the public and key interested parties on vacant homes/properties.
VHOs across local authorities are supported in their work by the Vacant Homes Unit in my Department. The Vacant Homes Unit supports the VHOs and the VHO network, providing information and advice, facilitating dissemination of information and best practice.
While my Department has a role in strategic workforce planning within the local government sector, Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible.
My Department is engaging with local authorities in relation to additional funding for Vacant Homes Offices in local authorities and is currently examining the resources needed. Any increased support to a local authority will be considered on the basis of a business case made by the individual local authority, including detail of current allocation and co-ordination of resources dealing with vacancy and dereliction, with applications considered on a case by case basis.
110. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his engagement to date with the stakeholder of a local amenity (details supplied) to progress and develop this area as a national park; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6938/24]
View answerThe site referred to is a privately owned site that has not been considered for national park status. The site already enjoys extensive legal protections as a Special Area of Conservation, a Special Protection Area and a designated Nature Reserve.
The site is owned largely by the ESB. I understand a management plan scoping exercise was undertaken by ESB International on behalf of the ESB in 2016/2017. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department contributed as part of the stakeholder group to the report produced as a result of that exercise. I understand that the ESB has now completed a draft management plan which is being considered by ESB management, and that the National Parks and Wildlife Service has offered to engage with the site owners in relation to the draft plan.
The NPWS completed and published detailed site-specific conservation objectives for the Gearagh SAC (000108) in September 2016.
Under the Habitats Directive, Ireland is obliged to report to the EU on the conservation status of all habitats and species of European Community interest, as listed in Annexes to the Directive. Monitoring of SACs is carried out by the NPWS on a cyclical basis. The most recent report was submitted to the EU in 2019 and is available on the NPWS website.
The priority habitat “Alluvial forests with Alder and Ash” is one of the qualifying interests of the Gearagh SAC and a monitoring site for this habitat is located within the SAC. It was most recently surveyed during the 2017-2018 monitoring period, when the area, structure and functions, and future prospects of the habitat in SAC were all assessed as favourable. This is in contrast with the national conservation status of the Alluvial forests habitat in Ireland, which is considered to be bad, and deteriorating.
The Gearagh SAC is also listed for the habitat “Rivers with muddy banks”. In addition to the NPWS survey, results of a 2018 botanical survey were made available to the NPWS by the ESB. The habitat was assessed as favourable in the Gearagh SAC.
The NPWS continues to engage with the ESB on the monitoring of this site. The positive findings from scientific surveys are indicators of a good management regime.
113. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the Land Development Agency will reconvene the consultation forum on the future development of Columb Barracks, Mullingar; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6798/24]
View answerLands at the Department of Defence owned site at Columb Barracks, Mullingar was agreed by Government for transfer to the Land Development Agency (LDA) under Housing for All, with the potential to deliver approximately 100 new homes.
I understand that an advisory group was set up in January 2021 to provide an opportunity for key partners to collaborate and advise the LDA in developing a vision for the Barracks site. The objective of the forum is to enable a better understanding of the complexities surrounding the site and its recent uses. The forum is also considering how to facilitate continued leasing of buildings to community groups in the context of the sustainable development of the site.
The site intended for new housing development is currently being occupied by temporary accommodation for Ukrainian Temporary Protection residents and other International Protection applicants.
I am assured that a meeting of the advisory group with key stakeholders, including Westmeath County Council and the Department of Defence as site owner, will be convened to discuss the potential for the site and next steps. Following this, I expect the LDA will consider the appropriate next steps to progress the site and will provide further updates in due course, with a focus on agreeing a timeline for the transfer and development of the site.
114. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many affordable houses will be made available in 2024 in Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6364/24]
View answerUnder 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.
Each local authority has prepared its own 5 year Housing Delivery Action Plan setting out their social and affordable housing delivery plans. 18 local authorities, including Louth County Council, were asked to include their planned affordable housing delivery in their Plans, in line with the five-year Affordable Housing delivery targets assigned to Louth County Council in March 2022, and 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. The plan for Louth is available on the local authority's official website.
Louth County Council has recently launched an affordable purchase housing scheme at Cois Farraige, Blackrock, Co. Louth. Applications are now being accepted until 28 February on the Local Authority's website.
Local authorities also now 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 reports detailing affordable housing delivery during 2022 and for the first three quarters of 2023 are available on my Department's website at the following link - www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/#affordable-housing-delivery. These reports show that the First Home scheme is now playing a role in the delivery of affordable homes in Louth and I expect the early momentum seen here to continue to grow as the scheme takes hold.
The First Home Scheme, 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, 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/.
I also anticipate that the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, which includes funding for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and the Ready to Build Scheme, will prove valuable in addressing overall affordability needs in Louth. A Vacant Homes Officer is in place who can assist the public with bringing vacant homes back into use, with up to €70,000 in grant support available to do so.
Significant progress is being made to deliver the Government's ambitious social and affordable housing targets under Housing for All, and my Department is working to further accelerate delivery with its key partners - local authorities, AHBs, the LDA, and via the First Home scheme.
116. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the review completed by his Department on local authority adaptation grants; how long it is expected to be under consideration by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform; when he expects it to be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6363/24]
View answer117. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the review of the housing adaptation grant; his ongoing engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6873/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 117 together.
Housing for All commits to reviewing the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme and a report on the review has been prepared by my Department. The review was informed by engagement with external stakeholders, including the Department of Health, the HSE, the Disability Federation of Ireland and the Irish Wheelchair Association. Written submissions were also invited and considered as part of this process. Among the areas which the review considered are the income thresholds that apply and the grant limits.
On foot of my consideration of the Review report, my Department shared the report and supplementary analysis with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and is engaging with that Department on the recommendations in the report with a view to bringing forward amendments to the relevant Regulations governing the schemes as soon as possible.
119. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how he intends to ramp up the supply of housing in towns and villages outside the major urban areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6872/24]
View answerThe National Planning Framework is a broad national plan for strategic planning and sustainable development of urban and rural areas to 2040, with the core objectives of securing balanced regional development and a sustainable ‘compact growth’ approach to the form and pattern of future development, having regard to projected population growth and the need to accommodate this growth through the provision of additional housing.
Each planning authority is responsible for adopting a development plan, required to be consistent with the NPF and the relevant Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy, which sets out the 6 year plan for development in each local authority area. Planning authorities include objectives in their development plan to set out how Housing Supply Targets may be achieved, including through the zoning of land for residential use across a range of settlements, in addition to objectives relating to the provision of housing in rural areas.
Housing for All, published in 2021 to align with the National Planning Framework, currently plans 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. A comprehensive and broadly-based implementation strategy is in place across the various affordable housing schemes now being delivered by a range of delivery partners, including local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, and the Land Development Agency. 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.
In order to incentivise the activation of zoned and serviced land for housing development in all settlements, the Residential Zoned Land Tax was introduced in the Finance Act 2021, and will come into effect in 2025.
In addition, the Town Centre First Policy was launched on 4 February 2022 and now provides a co-ordinated, whole-of-government policy framework to proactively address the decline in the health of towns across Ireland and support measures to regenerate and revitalise them and advocates for a place-based approach to the revitalisation of towns and villages.
Town Regeneration Officers have been appointed to drive the delivery of TCF on a local level, while the National Town Centre First Office will drive the implementation of the policy and coordinate stakeholder engagement at a national level and across the local government sector.
Aligned with the policy objective of promoting increased housing supply across all settlements including towns and villages, a number of funding initiatives have been introduced to support increased housing supply, including through support for reducing vacancy and dereliction across the Country.
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant supports bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. A grant of up to a maximum of €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent.
Under the Ready to Build Scheme, local authorities will make serviced sites in towns and villages available to potential individual purchasers (self-builders). These sites will be available at a discount on the market value of the site and sold for the building of a property for occupation as the principal private residence of the purchaser.
Since February 2018 to end September 2023, loans of over €605m have been drawn down, with some 3,684 households achieving homeownership using the Local Authority Home Loan and its predecessor the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan. The Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme, the Help to Buy Scheme and the First Home Scheme also support additional housing supply in towns and villages.
In January 2023, my Department also established a €150m revolving fund under the Urban Regional Development Fund (URDF) to address long term vacancy and dereliction across URDF eligible cities and towns. The fund will allow local authorities to acquire long term (> 2 years) vacant or derelict properties (residential and/or commercial) and to carry out any associated works needed to de-risk or improve the property to make it more attractive for re-use or sale. The fund will then be replenished from the proceeds received from the end use/user thereby, allowing the local authority to put in place a rolling programme of acquisitions in order to tackle long term vacancy and dereliction without recourse to borrowing and the associated financial risk.
120. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will introduce appropriate measures, in partnership with industry, to ensure that over a five-year period, delivery is increased to an extent that 30% of all new dwellings are built to incorporate universal design principles to accommodate our ageing population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6952/24]
View answerHousing for All is committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing with an appropriate mix of housing design types provided within social housing, including universally designed units, is available to everyone in Irish society, including older and disabled people.
The Building Regulations (Part M Amendment) Regulations sets out the minimum statutory requirements that a building must achieve in respect of access and use while the accompanying technical guidance encourages building owners and designers to have regard to the design philosophy of universal design and to consider making additional provisions where practicable and appropriate.
The initiation, planning and design of projects is a matter for individual local authorities in accordance with their development plans. 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, including specific plans for housing for the delivery of housing for older people. 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. The Plans also include details of the locations and delivery streams for social housing schemes and to make adequate provision for 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom homes. Housing Delivery Action Plans are published on the websites of the respective local authorities.
My Department recently issued Section 28 guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements (SRDCSGs). These Guidelines set national planning policy and guidance in relation to the planning and development of urban and rural settlements, with a focus on residential development.
The SRDSGs seek to ensure that new communities are designed to enhance accessibility to services, community facilities and amenities, optimise mobility for vulnerable users (with reference to the principles of Universal Design) and provide greater housing choice with a focus on the delivery of innovative housing types that can facilitate compact growth and provide greater housing choice that respond to the needs of single people, families, older people and people with disabilities, informed by a Housing Need and Demand Assessment, where possible.
At a broader level, the National Standards Authority of Ireland, Ireland’s official standards body under the aegis of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment have recently commenced work on a new national standard for Universal Design housing, which will be developed in collaboration with interested parties (See: www.nsai.ie/about/news/call-for-experts-in-the-development-of-a-standard-on-universal-design-dwellings-requirements-and-recommendations/) The new standard will include specific requirements and recommendations for new dwellings through a Universal Design approach.
121. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 5 of 7 December 2023, what engagement he has had with the Galway Social Housing task force to-date in 2024 with regard to the availability of properties to rent in Galway within standard or discretionary HAP limits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6789/24]
View answerMirroring the position nationally, new home delivery in Galway City has increased in recent years, increasing by almost 40% from 257 hew homes pre-pandemic in 2019 to 358 in 2023. At a national level, new home delivery next year is expected to exceed 2023 delivery and be at its highest level for many years. If the national trend of increased supply is sustained, it is likely the uplift in new home delivery in Galway City in recent years will be sustained and built upon in 2024 and subsequent years.
All the opportunities under Housing for All to increase supply at local, regional and national level are available to support both Galway local authorities and I will be meeting all local authority Chief Executives including Galway colleagues, as well as the Directors of Housing and Planning, at the end of this month to review progress.
Public housing supply in Galway will continue to be pressed through the Galway Task Force.
In relation to HAP tenancies in Galway, by the end of Q3 2023, there were 1,954 active HAP tenancies in the Galway City Council area. The equivalent figures in Galway County Council area are 1,446 active HAP tenancies to Q3 of 2023.
124. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 85 of 7 December 2023, the timeline for the publication of the draft planning guidelines for Gaeltacht areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6788/24]
View answerAn Interdepartmental Group (comprising my Department; the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport and Media; and Údarás na Gaeltachta) is continuing its work in developing specific planning guidance for Gaeltacht areas. There is also a separate Working Group made up of my Department, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Údarás na Gaeltachta and the relevant local authorities with Gaeltacht areas.
At the Interdepartmental Group meeting of 15 December 2022, it was agreed that the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport and Media would commence a study in 2023 on the methodology and format for Linguistic Impact Statements as a key elements of future planning guidelines for Gaeltacht areas. This study was subsequently commenced in February 2023. Initial proposals have been received from the consultants, and this is informing the draft of planning guidelines for Gaeltacht areas. Several Interdepartmental Group meetings took place in 2023 and bilateral Departmental engagement is ongoing.
The draft planning guidelines for Gaeltacht areas are currently being finalised for my review in the first instance and then mandatory screening under EU law for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), as well as for the purposes of Appropriate Assessment (AA). It is intended that, subject to the outcome of the screening exercises, the draft guidelines will then be published for public consultation.
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.
126. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing commencements and completions for each LEA area in County Cork for 2021, 2022 and 2023 under Housing for All, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7032/24]
View answerNew dwellings commencement data are published monthly on my Department's website and are available on a local authority by local authority basis only. The below table details the number of new homes commenced in Cork City and Cork County from 2021 to 2023:
|
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
|
Cork City Council |
1,300 |
964 |
1,186 |
|
Cork County Council |
1,832 |
2,002 |
2,403 |
New homes completions data are captured and published by the Central Statistics Office. The data are broken down by Local Electoral Area and are available in table NDA05 (New Dwelling Completions by Local Electoral Area) on the CSO website at data.cso.ie/.
127. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans for the long-term sustainable funding of the Land Development Agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6800/24]
View answerThe Land Development Agency's (LDA) Business Plan 2024-2028, plans to deliver approximately 14,000 homes over its lifetime. To deliver housing on this scale requires a significant increase in funding, due to an increase in ambition and a change in the balance of affordable and social housing relative to market rate housing to be delivered by the LDA.
To provide support for the delivery of affordable, social and cost rental homes in the short to medium term, the Government have agreed to provide the LDA with an additional investment of €1.25 billion from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund as well as identifying a further €1.25 billion from other sources. This commitment will ultimately enable funding of up to €5 billion for the LDA.
A sub-committee of the Housing for All Investment group has been formed to determine the appropriate longer term funding structure of the LDA. This group will consider a broad range of financing options for the Agency, including the role of debt, additional public funding and the use of self-generated income by the LDA.
My priority is to develop a secure and sustainable funding model for the LDA to allow it continue its crucial work developing housing on relevant public land and other land acquired by the LDA and working with the private sector to deliver social and affordable homes through Project Tosaigh.
