Vol. 513 No. 1
83 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the progress, if any, made in discussions between his Department and the churches regarding the possible use of church owned land for housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1587/00]
My Department met last year with the Conference of Religious in Ireland, the representative body of the Church of Ireland and the Irish Episcopal Conference regarding land or property surplus to these bodies' requirements and which could be converted to residential use or development. This initiative was undertaken in the context of the need to increase housing supply, particularly the utilisation of serviced development land in central locations. The purpose of the meetings was to make an estimate of how much surplus land or property might be available and to achieve an understanding that such land would first be offered to the relevant local authority on terms agreeable to both parties.
All of the religious bodies were supportive of releasing any surplus land or property for social and affordable housing projects at agreed terms and gave an undertaking to carry out a survey within their organisations of the lands which may be available. The general view of all the bodies, however, was that there was unlikely to be a substantial amount of surplus land or property available in the near future.
A reply was received from the Conference of Religious in Ireland this month which indicates that the amount of land likely to become available in the near future is small, with only five instances of available land or property being identified. In these cases the religious orders concerned are willing to enter negotiations with the relevant local authority or have already made arrangements with local authorities or voluntary housing bodies regarding the disposal of the land for social and affordable housing. Replies from the representative body of the Church of Ireland and the Irish Episcopal Conference are still awaited.
