Vol. 543 No. 2
505 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if any review of housing strategy is being adopted by his Department; if so, the findings of such review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26300/01]
Within the term of the present Government, my Department has commissioned three major reports on the housing market with a particular focus on the supply and demand for housing and the affordability of housing. The Government has responded actively to the findings of these reports in Action on House Prices, April 1998, Action on the Housing Market, March 1999, and Action on Housing, June 2000, and has implemented a wide range of measures to reduce excessive house price increases, boost housing output, remove infrastructural and planning con straints on residential development, improve affordability for first time buyers and lower income households, and afford greater access to the housing market for first time buyers.
The £6 billion provided in the national development plan for social and affordable housing was augmented by a further commitment of almost £1 billion announced in the Government's Action on Housing following a review of social and affordable housing measures which was undertaken by my Department.
Specific strategies have also been put in place in relation to homelessness, with the development of the Government's integrated strategy on homelessness and the preparation by local authorities of their three year homelessness action plans. Five year traveller accommodation programmes have also been adopted by local authorities who are now in the course of implementing them.
The report of the national anti-poverty strategy, NAPS, working group on housing and accommodation, July 2001, contains specific recommendations in relation to the reduction of housing and accommodation poverty. Targets in the housing area will cover key issues such as access to housing, the needs of homeless persons and travellers, housing standards and management of social housing. These recommendations will be considered by the Government in the context of the review of NAPS. The planning and provision of housing generally will also be considerably strengthened through local authority housing strategies which have now been put in place under Part V of the Planning and Development Act, 2000.
The Government is committed to providing the necessary financial and administrative support to ensure the implementation of the range of commitments made in relation to housing and accommodation supply and affordability under Framework 2 and social and affordable housing under Framework 3 of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. The housing forum was set up to monitor the implementation of the housing and accommodation commitments in the PPF and to provide the social partners with an opportunity to participate in the further development by my Department of policy responses to housing issues identified in the programme. The forum has met on six occasions to date and the next meeting will be held at the end of November 2001.
