The housing forum, agreed with the social partners and set out in Frameworks 2 and 3 of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, is currently being established. The social partners and Departments who will participate in the forum have been invited to nominate representatives to it. Following nomination of the various representatives, arrangements will be made to hold the first meeting of the forum.
The forum will be chaired by a senior official of my Department and will comprise a further 16 members. Each of the four pillars, trade union, employer, community and voluntary and farming, has been invited to nominate two representatives. The Departments of the Taoiseach, Finance, Social, Community and Family Affairs and Justice, Equality and Law Reform as well as my Department will each have a representative on the forum.
The local authority sector, which will have primary responsibility for implementation of the majority of housing commitments in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, will have two representatives on the forum. The Irish Council for Social Housing, as the representative body of the voluntary housing sector, has also been invited to nominate a representative.
The terms of reference of the forum will be as agreed with the social partners and as set out in the programme. Accordingly, the forum will monitor developments in relation to the supply and affordability of housing, monitor the implementation of the housing objectives and actions set out in Frameworks 2 and 3 of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness in the context of the targets set in the national development plan, provide the social partners with an opportunity to contribute to the further development by my Department of policy responses in respect of the housing issues identified in the programme and involve the social partners with Government in tackling constraints on the achievement of the housing supply targets set out in the programme and the national development plan.
The housing forum will meet quarterly for the lifetime of the programme and, accordingly, the timing and nature of its reports will be decided in the context of its ongoing work programme.