Local authorities operate a wide range of housing programmes for households of varying income levels, including supports to facilitate home-ownership amongst low-income to modest income groups who cannot access housing on the open market. Details of the range of schemes in place are available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie.
The total allocation for the various housing programmes in 2010 — voted and non-voted — is €1,874m. The provision for 2011 and subsequent years will be determined in the context of the Estimates for Public Services for those years.
Addressing housing need remains a high priority for the Government. While ensuring that we can deliver across the full range of needs, the scale and composition of the public housing programme in the years ahead will be dependent on a number of factors, including the level of available funding, the comparative cost effectiveness of the various means of delivering social housing and the evolution of the housing market generally.
I am determined to ensure that the programme is framed in a manner which continues to optimise the delivery of social housing. To achieve this, it is essential that we tailor the use of available Exchequer supports to prevailing market conditions, and explore alternative solutions to address housing needs, having full regard to the sustainable communities philosophy outlined in the Government's housing policy statement Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities .
