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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 4 Nov 2003

Vol. 573 No. 3

Written Answers. - Social and Affordable Housing Programmes.

Brian O'Shea

Ceist:

130 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Defence the Defence Forces' property that has been handed over or it is planned to transfer for the purposes of the new affordable housing initiative agreed in Sustaining Progress; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25257/03]

The Government has committed to an ambitious scale of delivery of affordable housing coming through the new affordable housing initiative under Sustaining Progress and through existing affordable housing schemes. The announcement in July this year of the proposed release of Department of Defence lands at Magee Barracks, Kildare and Gormanston, County Meath, as well as a number of sites in the administration of the Office of Public Works, was a critical first step in ensuring early delivery of affordable housing under this initiative which is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

Officials in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government have met officials from my Department and the relevant local authorities in relation to the two sites as it is envisaged that the local authorities will have an important role in ensuring delivery of affordable housing at these sites. Work on implementing this initiative is progressing as a priority and this is firm evidence of the Government's determination to making measurable progress in the implementation of this initiative by the mid-term review of Sustaining Progress, in mid-2004.
The Government is now working with the parties to the pay agreement to define the precise terms of the initiative, including the eligibility criteria. As the Taoiseach has indicated, the Government is looking at the potential to release further State land for this initiative and a series of meetings have been held with other Government Departments in this regard.
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